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Well-known Vrindavan artist Padam Sri Krishan Kanhai's portrait of Sardar Patel with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be sent to the museum at the Statue of Unity, for display.
This assurance was given by the Prime Minister himself when the Vrindavan artist presented the 7x8 feet portrait at the Parliament House. Kanhai was accompanied by Mathura MP Hema Malini. Kanhai told IANS that he drew the portrait during the lockdown period in 2020. This is his fifth portrait of Indian Prime Ministers. When he presented the portrait to Modi, he was instantly mesmerised by the colourful display of expressions. "Immediately the PM reacted saying he would have it displayed at the museum at the site of the Statue of Unity in Gujarat." Kanhai also presented his coffee table book to the PM. Kanhai said the prime minister wanted to change the profile of the holy town of Vrindavan just like Varanasi and Dwarka. Kanhai also invited PM Modi to visit Vrindavan. Kanhai is famous for his Sri Krishna paintings. He has an art gallery in Vrindavan which is a popular site for visitors. He is a master in contemporary, portrait as well as traditional gold painting. He has, however, not confined himself to the traditional alone but has also introduced certain significant techniques of his own that make the canvas aesthetically appealing and spiritually rich. Kanhai told IANS that he started painting on folk themes while still in his teens during 1976 and gradually came to evolve a style of his own, which bore his personal stamp. "It did not take much time to get known, as the precursor of the Yamuna Ghat Painting School I have painted thousands of portraits on the now perishing theme of Radha-Krishna and their tales." He often uses pure gold and precious gems as raw materials for his paintings. Following in the footsteps of his father and mentor Padmashri Kanhai Chitrakar, who himself was a renowned Krishna and Radha artist, young Krishna was encouraged by his father to carve his own niche, which he did earlier than expected. A life-size portrait of Bharat Ratna, late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India, painted by Krishn Kanhai, hangs in the Central Hall of Parliament at New Delhi, which was inaugurated in February 2019 by President of India, Ramnath Kovind in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. --IANS bk/dpb ( 415 Words) 2021-12-07-14:56:24 (IANS)
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