Chhattisgarh’s biggest art gallery has come up in Khairagarh town of Rajnandgaon district, showcasing the state’s rich history, traditions and tribal life, a government official said on Sunday. Various paintings, handicraft and sculptures prepared by students of the state-run Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya (IKSV) have been displayed in the gallery, set up in the university premises in Khairgarh, located 80 km from the state capital Raipur, he said.
One such artwork prepared by student Muskan Parakh using clay on a bamboo mat depicts the Ghotul culture of Bastar wherein tribal youth are shown sitting together and exchanging gifts.
Ghotul are places in Bastar villages where young tribal men and women gather, interact, sing and dance and they are free to choose a life partner there.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated the art gallery on Saturday, the official said.
Baghel was in Khairagarh to inaugurate Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai as the state’s 31st district. “Chhattisgarh’s rich history, customs, tradition and tribal life have always been key aspects in the aesthetic folk art that has been created in the state over the years. This art gallery has been set up to treasure and promote the state’s folk art,” the official in Raipur said. The art gallery has been named after late Sonabai Rajwar, the renowned artist and folk painter from Surguja district, he said.
