V R KHAJURIA : THE UNFORGETTABLE SCULPTOR

                                           

VIDYA  RATAN  KHAJURIA (1934-1990)

He was the only artist in our state who could wield his brush, his pen and his chisel and hammer to create something memorable. Looking at his work, one can call him a phenomenon.I saw his Kashmir landscapes done in watercolour. I saw his self-portraits. I saw his sketches. I saw his sculptures. I also had a glimpse of his Survey and Documentation work on Art and Artists of J&K; everything was exceptional and unique. When the wife of Bhagwan Sahay the then Governor of J&K  approached Sankho Chaudhury to draw a portrait of her son, the master recommended Vidya Ratan Khajuria, his favourite student at  Baroda. 

His admirers Include Dr Karan Singh, Pt. Trilochan Datt, G M Sadiq, D P Dhar, Dr Tahir Mirza, Dr Naseer  and his wife Dr Girija Dhar, P N Kachru,  Apurb Som Nath , Sansar Chand Baru, Agha Ashraf Ali,G R Santosh, Bansi Parimu, Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, composer T K Jalali  and many more. When he died, his friend Bansi Parimu wrote an emotional tribute which was published in the Kashmir Times. His work received critical reviews in many national and international magazines.

The tall and monumental statue of Bawa Jitto done by him and installed near Katra looks synonymous with   Kumarjeeva's ( Mahayana Buddhist teacher from Kashmir ) statue in front of the Kizil caves in the Kuqa valley of China.

To his friends, Vidya Ratan would often sing Kehri Singh Madhukar's Dogri song that conveys the intense need for friends, well-wishers and communication in life.

' Keep visiting. Keep meeting. These breaths are unreliable. This life is not to be taken for granted. We nourish hopes. We have desires. '

"Aoundhe jandhe rehna,

mildhey gildhey rehna

Iney sahain da ke parbhasa jindhey

Asain laggi de rehni hai asha jindhey

Aoundhe jandhe rehna,

mildhey gildhey rehna"

Know more about this maestro who died young due to liquor-induced liver cirrhosis. He finds a much-deserved place in my forthcoming book, " The Bright Stars of Foggy Nights" . He is there with some untold anecdotes and interesting stories. Others in the book include Prof Ved Kumari Gai, Prof T N Ganju, Sushama Sharma ( theatre artist from Jammu) , Bhushan Kaul( well-known modern artist ) ,  poet Vasudev Reh, Sardar Santokh Singh ( a pioneer signboard painter) , Noor Mohammad Kitab ( Munshi Nawal Kishore of Kashmir), Vijay Suri ( writer, actor and novelist ), Akhtar Mohiuddin, Farooq Nazki,  Makhan Lal Mahav, composer T K Jalali, Chaman Lal Hakhoo( novelist, writer, broadcaster and painter), Dr Girija Dhar, Som Nath Zutshi ( writer ) , Pran Nath Butt (  an unknown artist ) , Prof Jay Lal Kaul, Hari Kashmiri ( film industry ), Dr Saif Uddin din Kitchloo ( freedom fighter and hero of Jallianwala Bagh) and many more.  The book shall be available on Amazon and Flipkart worldwide around Shivratri.

( Avtar Mota)

PS

Photo source ...Kanchan Kumar Khajura son of the artist/ sculptor.

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K

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