THE REAL GOD OF ART: RAJA RAVI VARMA ‘The Forgotten Hero’

Here lies one who painted God and man alike,

Shed few tears on him, he was a real icon,

Painted noble ideas, he regarded as fun and service;

Thank the  lord he is still alive,

In his timeless, immortal paintings, this star of colours’

Death has to return from his doorstep.

Perhaps hardly anybody knows the Goddess Lakshmi that we pray to, on Diwali was designed by the Father of Modern Indian Art Raja Ravi Varma. The reason is not very difficult to understand. Indian media, academic and art world are in the grip of secularists and communists. For them, art begins and ends with controversial anti-Hindu painter M.F.Hussain. So Indians have almost forgotten the real God of art.

Recently celebrated filmmaker Ketan Mehta has made a film on Raja Ravi Varma, titled ‘Rang Rasiya’, starring Randeep Hooda. On Diwali, the wife of Ketan Mehta and Deepa Sahi, also a film producer, were performing Diwali puja, and as they stood in front of a big – beautiful framed image of Goddess Lakshmi with folded hands, trying to please her and to get Her blessings to come and visit their home, Ketan Mehta asked his wife about the painter of the picture of Goddess Lakshmi.

Ketan Mehta told his wife that this is the copy of the painting of the greatest artist on earth, Raja Ravi Varma's painting. It means that more than 150 crores of Hindu population worldwide bow their heads in front of his work and that makes him the single most popular artist on earth. So they decided to make a film of Raja Ravi Varma. Raja Ravi Varma has magical hands and magical creativity.

Unfortunately, in the nation, only those names are remembered who are connected with Dalit and Muslim vote banks or who are endorsed and propagated by the western world.  Raja Ravi Varma has none of such links, so this nation has almost forgotten him.

Without any confusion and dispute, Raja Ravi Varma is the Father of Indian Art. The government should establish at least a University of Fine Arts in his name.

He has many things to his name and credit:

1. THE FIRST ARTIST/PAINTER TO GIVE SHAPE/FACES TO THE HINDU GODS: Before him, there were no uniform shape or faces of Hindu Gods and Goddesses and there used to be different types of statues and figures made of clay. But Raja Ravi Varma gave excellent shape and faces to Hindu Gods and Goddesses. It is the most powerful contribution to Indian civilisation and culture.
2. HE BROUGHT SECULARISM AND EQUALITY IN THE HINDU SOCIETY: He made it possible to all, including Harijans or low caste Hindus to pray in front of the pictures and statues of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. In other words, he was a real harbinger of secularism and equality much before modern day so called messiah of secularism and social justice.
3. HE WAS THE REAL BRAIN BEHIND THE CREATION OF SARI, NATIONAL ATTIRE OF INDIAN WOMEN: This is the most surprising reality. Raja Ravi Varma created and developed the fashion of Indian Sari.
4. HE WAS THE FATHER OF THE ART OF CALENDAR:  He was the first commercial artist who brought out Gods, Goddesses, temples and great men out of temples, books and museum. He printed them on sweet (mithai) and match boxes, calendars, posters, saris, sign boards, etc., so that common man can see them.
5. THE FIRST TO MAKE POSTERS FOR THE FILMS: He was the first famous and important painter who started, painting film posters.
6. INVENTOR AND THE FIRST ARTIST/PAINTER TO START COLOUR PRINTING AND  COLOUR PRINTING PRESS:  He brought technology into art and painting and became the first man to have started a colour printing press and colour printing.
7. THE HIGHEST PRICED INDIAN ARTIST/PAINTER:  His paintings have got as high as Rs. 30/= crore, highest price for any Indian piece of art, own his own,  without any promotion or endorsements.
8. A SPECIAL POST OFFICE TO HANDLE HIS MAILS ONLY:  He was so popular a figure that he would get loads of fan mails forcing the then British government to have opened a special post office only to handle his mail.
9. HE WAS THE FIRST INDIAN TO BE AWARDED THE HIGHEST CIVILIAN AWARD ‘KAISAR-E-HIND’ BY THE THEN BRITISH GOVERNMENT:  The then British government acknowledged his merit and contribution to the field of art by awarding the highest civilian award’ Kaisar-E-Hind’ But the secular Indian government is yet to acknowledge his merits and contribution.
10. THE GREAT GRAND-FATHER OF INDIAN CINEMA: It is a well-known fact that Dadasaheb Phalke is considered the father of Indian cinema and in the film industry the highest award is in the name of Dadasaheb Phalke. But nobody knows that Dadasaheb Phalke started his career as a trainee under Raja Ravi Varma.