Art for Mother Earth

Conservation campaigns have been done on various forums, but rarely have they been routed through art. Forests, with all their natural splendour, colours and wildlife, will come alive on canvas at a unique painting exhibition at the Birla Academy of Art and Culture from May 15-20. Titled 'Earth Voices', the exhibition will have 45 paintings that catch various shades of nature, jungles and even jungle lore.They have been painted by Indian Forest Service officer V K Yadav and his wife Alka.
The idea is to spread awareness about jungles and wildlife and sensitize people about the need to protect them, says Yadav. "We have got some brilliant artwork that brings alive the beauty of forests. They also carry a subtle message that won't be lost on the audience. If this inspires even a few to take interest in nature and wildlife and do their bit for conservation, we would have done our job," says Yadav.
Deforestation, global warming, rising water-levels and the resultant threat to coastal areas, floods and even crop failure have been dealt with in the paintings. "Through the paintings, we strive to deliver a strong and urgent message - that time is running out for Mother Earth and that we need to act to save our precious planet," says Yadav.
Girl power
In the early 19th century when Raja Ram Mohun Roy stood against child marriage, little did he know that it would inspire a girl after almost two centuries. A 16-year-old girl, Dipa Das, from a remote village in Nadia, gathered courage and raised her voice against this malpractice and could successfully assert her opinion against all odds.
Dipa, daughter of Mamata Das, a beggar, has two siblings. She, along with her two brothers and mother, stays in Kalinarayanpur, a non-descript village near Ranaghat. Her match was made by her grandmother who often goes to Vrindavan on pilgrimage. "My father went missing eight years back. My mother begs from door to door. I always wanted to study further and decided not to marry till I cross 18 years. But my granny insisted that I marry that man," said a shy Dipa, who has visited Kolkata for the first time. But ultimately she was successful in stopping that marriage.
Artist Arjun Ghosh dedicated one of his paintings, in his solo painting exhibition '...and she', to Dipa. In 33 such paintings, he has depicted the pain and agony which women go through under various social circumstances. The exhibition that started on April 24 will continue till April 29, 2012.
Bringing literature alive
A visit to Kolkata brought back nostalgic memories for eminent children's author Paro Anand last week. Anand, whose father was once associated with a leading English daily in the city, said: "I am happy to be here amidst the children who are well acquainted with my works. I love the atmosphere of this city."
The Guinness Record holder was in the city to hold interactive sessions with students of several schools at the first ever 'Kolkata Festival of Children's Content' held at the Future Foundation School. She read out from her works and virtually gave a lesson to teachers on how to make literature come alive in the classroom. It is the first time in India that any school has held such an event in consonance with the European academic trend to motivate teenagers to read books in the age of Internet. At Future Foundation School, Anand said she refuses to believe that Gen-Y has given up the habit of reading. "Oh, they are reading and writing very much, I can tell you that. I have held dozens of workshops across the world with teenagers and everywhere I found the young mind still fascinated by words," she said, adding that Kolkata's rich literary tradition is being carried forward by the next generation.
Ray bust to be unveiled
After a long battle comes the auspicious moment for the teachers and students of Athenaeum Institution. 100 A, Garpar Road, famous as the ancestral house of Satyajit Ray, which houses the higher secondary school, is now free of land shark's threat.
The Athenaeum Institution has installed busts of Satyajit Ray and his grandfather Upendra Kishore Ray Chowdhury, which will be inaugurated by Sandip Ray and Gautam Sengupta, DG (Archaeology) on May 4.
Upendra Kishore built this house in 1894. As Upendra Kishore set up a press in the ground floor of the three-storey building, his son Sukumar Ray started publishing the legendary magazine 'Sandesh' from here. Satyajit Ray had many fond memories of this building, including a mango tree. This building got heritage status from the KMC in 2001.
The Lord's journey
The Gaudiya Math, a century-old organisation with its headquarters at Bagbazar, has started the Chandan Yatra, a 21-day festival of Lord Sri Krishna. During this festival (started on Akshay Trititya) Sri Krishna gets a sandalwood bath every day. Besides special darshana (visit) of Radha-Krishna, the devotees throng to the Math for devotional songs and religious stories and anecdotes. The devotees are also treated with special sweets served as Prasadam. This Chandan Yatra festival is celebrated across India, including Vrindaban, Puri and Baleshwar among other places.