Raja Ravi Varma Utsav of Varna (Colour) Rekha (Lines and Stories) Sangeeta (Music): A Note

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is a premier centre set up by the Government of India under Ministry of Culture, as a Centre encompassing the study and experience of all the arts - each form with its own integrity, yet within a dimension of mutual interdependence, interrelated with nature, the social structure and cosmology.

IGNCA under the aegis of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is organizing a three day Raja Ravi Varma Utsav

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) has its Regional Centre at Vadodara located in the Luxmi Vilas Palace Ground in the vicinity of Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, Vadodara, Gujarat. Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum has an invaluable collection of Raja Ravi Varma Paintings and Oleographs displayed inside and accessible for the public.

Raja Ravi Varma is one of the premier Indian painters who started painting in the technique of oil painting and made paintings based on Indian themes and mythology. Though originally Raja Ravi Varma belonged to Kerala, he travelled extensively throughout India and served as court painter to various the Indian princes. On the invitation of the great visionary Maharaja of Baroda, Maharaja Sayajirao; Ravi Varma spent quite a lot of time in Vadodara and created masterpieces which are in the proud possession of Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum. The studio in which he stayed, unfortunately was in dilapidated state till 2017. IGNCA collaborated with the Palace authorities and got the studio renovated which is a new cultural space and is run by the regional centre of IGNCA for organizing different programmes such as exhibitions, workshops, reading sessions, dance performances, etc. The renovated studio is to become a latest addition in the itinerary of art lovers and tourists visiting Vadodara.

IGNCA under the aegis of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is organizing a three day Raja Ravi Varma Utsav from 15th to 17th April 2022 to pay tribute to this great artist through book release, lectures, dance, drama, poetry, music, film screening and exhibitions. The event will be inaugurated by Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture in the presence of Her Highness Rajmata Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad, Hon’ble Chancellor, MSU Baroda, Dr. Sonal Mansingh Hon'ble MP Rajya Sabha and other dignitaries. The Valedictory Session at 5 pm on 17th April 2022 will be graced by the august presence of Shri Rajendrabhai Trivedi, Hon'ble Minister of Revenue, Law and Justice, Govt. of Gujarat, Prof. (Dr.) VK Srivastava, Hon'ble Vice Chancellor, MS University Baroda, Smt. Revathi Ramachandran, Director, Kalakshetra Foundation, Shri Ramavarma Thampuran, Descendant of Raja Ravi Varma & General Secretary of the Kilimanoor Palace Trust and other luminaries.

A three day celebration of Varna (colour) Rekha (lines and stories) Sangeeta (music) the festival proposes not only to capture the essence of Raja Ravi Varma master pieces but is an attempt to go beyond and explore the traditions and culture of entire India.

Dates: 15th, 16th and 17th April 2022 along with a Chitra Yatra (Street March) around Palace Road on 14 April 2022 at 6:30 p.m where tribal and folk artists from all over Gujarat will take part.

Artists participating in the festival

Dr. Sonal Mansingh

Shri Vikku Vinayakram and Group

Pandit Sanjeev and Ashwini Shankar

Dr. Parul Shah and Team

Dr. Neena Prasad

Guru Aruna Mohanty and Orissa Dance Academy

Pandit Ronu Majumdar

Shri Sanjay Subrahmaniyam

Kalakshetra Foundation

Ustad Shahid Parvez

With a new documentary on Raja Ravi Varma Rangagatha Directed by Raman Mamgain and Produced by IGNCA and a book release, the festival will also curate folk and tribal art forms like Garba, Bhavai, Dangi Nritta, Holi-Ni-Ki-Gher, Pithora, Mata-Ni-Pachedi Bhavda and many more.

As part of the festival, two exhibitions ‘Expression of Shadow’ by Studio Sandbox and Display of Oleographs by Shri Sachin Kaluskar & Infine Art Ventures LLP will be held at the newly constructed Raja Ravi Verma Studio from 15-17 April 2022. The entire festival is being supported by the Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum Trust, The Gaekewad Royal Family and The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.

The day long festival will be held in Laxmi Vilas Palace on 15th April 2022 beginning at 8.30 am and in the Engineering and Technology Auditorium and Compound on 16th and 17th April 10 am onwards.

The festival is free for all and promises to see footfalls from all over India and abroad.