Bhimavaram town has become the cynosure of all eyes on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to unveil a 30-foot-tall statue of revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Sitharama Raju, as part of the 125th birth anniversary of the ‘Manyam Veerudu’ from Andhra land.
In view of the significance of the event, Director, Department of Culture, and State Nodal Officer for Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Regulla Mallikarjuna Rao, took to the canvas to paint an impressive image of the ‘Hero of the Jungle’ in acrylic colours.
The painting has the image of ‘Bharat Matha’ in the background and depicts a scene of the “brave son of the soil” waging an armed war against the British.
The painting, says Mr. Rao, will be displayed at the venue.
“The event is very significant and so the artist in me responded spontaneously,” says Mr. Rao, who has also sculpted the iconic 125-foot Dhyana Buddha statue at Amaravati.
He has also written a book in Telugu, ‘Manyam Veerudu - Alluri Sitharama Raju’, with the foreword by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G. Kishan Reddy, and Minister for Tourism and Culture R.K. Roja.
In the past, Mr. Rao had demonstrated his painting talent on the sidelines of important State events.
For instance, during Pushkarams, he had depicted the Krishna’s journey through the last 2,000 years through a set of paintings.
“Art is about connecting with people’s emotions. It’s personal and, at the same time, universal,” he says.
