This year, Lal Qila Gate will be decorated with depictions of Hindu goddesses, including Maa Durga. For this, a group of artists from the village of West Bengal have been invited by the Union Culture Ministry. Among them is President’s Award winner Pattachitra artist Nuruddin. Pattachitra, meaning ‘cloth picture or ‘painting’ in Sanskrit, is a generalised term used to describe a style and format of painting with origins in Odisha and West Bengal. A group of ten pattachitra artists have been specially flown in to Delhi to draw the gate in front of Red Fort. A long pattachitra will depict Hindu goddesses including Durga, Kartik, Ganesh, and Lakhsmi. Some artists were also invited from the Medinipore district of Bengal. No doubt the pattachitra will showcase India’s cultural diversity and unity in the independence celebration.
