Artists to go live on canvas for Mahamastakabhisheka

For the first time, artists will sit on a raised platform during the anointing of Lord Bahubali in Shravanabelagola, Hassan district and capture the moments live on canvas.

This is part of the ongoing Shravanabelagola Art Festival, conceptualised and coordinated by Rajat Pandya, a Bengaluru-based businessman and budding artist, and his mother Pushpa Pandya, also an artist.

The first phase of the festival was a camp held from January 26-28 in Bengaluru. The second phase of the exhibition of paintings and art works from February 17 to 26 will be in Shravanabelagola and the third phase of the exhibition of these paintings will be galleries across India, coupled with their sales.

"In the second phase, we will be doing live paintings of the ongoing Mahamastakabhisheka, which happens once in 12 years. The artists will sit for 10 days to capture the anointment ceremony," Rajat said.

As many as 16 artists will be painting live. Most of the artists will be from Karnataka, along with some from across India. These artists will showcase their paintings at the exhibition ground during the Mahamastakabhisheka. At the foothills of the hillock, a 4800-sq-foot pavilion is being created to exhibit 75 paintings. Of these, 50 have been selected from the art camp and 25 are studio works by artists from other parts of India.

The Shravanabelagola Art Festival is funded by 15 individuals and galleries along with Jain Mutt in Shravanabelagola and Artwala.com. Artists from Karnataka, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai, Pune and Tamil Nadu are participating.

DH News Service

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Shravanabelagola in 3D
The district administration, which has introduced many firsts for the Mahamastakabhisheka, is now setting up a special art gallery where pictures with three-dimensional effect will be on display.

Visitors will be provided with special spectacles so that they get a three-dimensional view of the pictures of the Bahubali idol, Basadis and other historical places.

After from the live relay of the event, which can be availed by downloading the Mahamastakabhisheka App, the district administration has come up with a special 3-D art gallery.

A Bengaluru-based company has used special 3-D cameras to capture the pictures. The pictures of Bahubali, Mastakabhisheka, the beauty of Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri Hills, Chikkadevaraya Wadiyar Kalyani and others will be on display.

The Jain Mutt has been requested to allot land to set up a permanent art gallery of the Mahotsava.

DH News Service