A few weeks after a Muslim schoolgirl in Mumbai won a Gita recitation competition, a girl from this community in Odisha has won the Chief Minister’s trophy for her painting on the Nabakalebar of lord Jagannath.
Sarifuna Quadri hailing from Sunhat in Baleswar town was adjudged the winner of the painting competition in the Chief Minister’s Trophy junior category recently. She impressed one and all with her creation on Nabakalebar, proving in the process that art transcends religion.
“I love painting and it gives me immense pleasure. As an artist, I love Jagannath and have been doing paintings on Him since my schooldays,” Sarifuna said. Saifuna’s father Seikh Amanulla is a senior official in the Railways and has lent immense support to her to chase her passion. Sarifuna aspires to make it big in the field of fine arts.
When Sarifuna was in Class-V, she had participated in a national-level painting competition in Kolkata where she bagged top honours. In 2011, when she was in Class IX, she had won the third prize in a State-level competition. However, she considers the winning of the Chief Minister’s Trophy competition as her biggest achievement till date.