In view of 'Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' and Platinum Jubilee of Delhi Police, a cultural programme Raja Ravi Varma Chitrakar Samman Samaroh, 'Chitranjali' was organised on the evening of June 28 at Adarsh Auditorium, Police Headquarters to commemorate Raja Ravi Varma's 174th birth anniversary. The event for Raja Ravi Varma, whose paintings have been a source of cultural and spiritual inspiration, was organised in association with Ministry of Culture and 'Megh Mandal Sansthan'. .
G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and DoNER, was the Chief Guest on the occasion. Professor Kaptan Singh Solanki (Former Governor of Punjab, Haryana and Tripura) was the Guest of Honour.
Vimlesh Brijwall (Secretary, 'Megh Mandal Sansthan') and Ramavarma Thampuran (General Secretary, 'Kilimanoor Palace Trust' and a descendent of Raja Ravi Verma) were the special guests. Sonal Mansingh (Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha), Anu Asthana (President, PFWS), Sanjay Beniwal (Special CP Perception Management) and many other notable artists and senior police officers also graced the occasion.
The paintings of Raja Ravi Verma were exhibited in the corridors of Adarsh Auditorium showcasing his diverse artistic achievements.
G Kishan Reddy, who remembered former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao on his birth anniversary, said that many artists are being felicitated for their contribution to art on this occasion. He conveyed his sincere appreciation to the artists on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He further said that the Ministry of Culture has been instrumental in organising many such cultural programs on the birth anniversaries of great Indian personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Lala Lajpat Rai, Rabindranath Tagore, Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Guru Tegh Bahadur and many more to create awareness among the youth and future generations and to learn about Indian history and culture.
Kaptan Singh Solanki said that Raja Ravi Verma was among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. The act of to felicitating artists in the remembrance of Raja Ravi Verma is a great initiative on the part of the Ministry of Culture and Delhi Police. He later congratulated the winners of the event on this occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Rakesh Asthana, Commissioner of Police, Delhi, said that the paintings of Raja Ravi Verma showcase the vast history and diverse culture of India which is an inspiration for all.
Delhi Police, as part of the ongoing 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', has been organising multiple cultural programs like painting competitions to mark the 75th year of independence and the platinum jubilee of Delhi Police. Such programs are aimed at creating awareness of women's safety, drug addiction and human trafficking awareness which is an important social aspect of policing.
Many renowned artists and school students which included Vandana Kumari and Nupur Kundu (Delhi), Manoj Maurya (Uttar Pradesh), Gogi Saroj Pal (Lucknow), Samir Sarkar were felicitated during the ceremony.