Slideshow of Memories

Its a walk down memory lane,as portraits,paintings and photographs at the two newly refurbished galleries at Punjab Kala Bhawan,Sector 16,offer a view of the past.

Its a walk down memory lane,as portraits,paintings and photographs at the two newly refurbished galleries at Punjab Kala Bhawan,Sector 16,offer a view of the past. Closed for years,with most works lying locked away in stores,the galleries now wear a fresh look,as the works have been restored and are ready for a better view. The effort is a tribute to MS Randhawa,the first Chief Commissioner of Chandigarh,whose contributions to art,administration and the promotion of Punjabi culture are universally recognised. It was Randhawa,a connoisseur of art and painting,a folklorist and a researcher,whose untiring efforts resulted in the conception of the Chandigarh Museum,Punjab Arts Council and Museum of Cultural Heritage of Punjab at Ludhiana.

The Punjab Kala Bhawan was his dream and so were the galleries,which he established in the 60s. But over the years,the galleries were neglected and shut down, explains Rajpal Singh of the Punjab Arts Council. Now,as a tribute to Randhawa,and as part of the ongoing Randhawa Utsav,one of the galleries has been dedicated to him and displays rare photographs chronicling his times,amazing contribution and associations. The galleries are going to be permanent features. We hope these will find a prominent place on the tourist maps here, says Harjinder Kaur of the Council.

The pictorial journey takes the viewer through many historic events. One of them is where Randhawa,as Deputy Commissioner of Delhi,is seen making all the arrangements for the historic event of August 15,1947,and walking in step with Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru at the Red Fort for the unfurling of the Tricolour. The pictures of the first Independence Day show Randhawa with Sardar Patel and Dr Rajendra Prasad,in a rare,nostalgic treat. Randhawa had a special place and respect for artists and that’s reflected in the pictures on display which show his deep friendships with cinema and culture stalwarts like Prithvi Raj Kapoor,Balraj Sahni,Amrita Pritam and Khushwant Singh. There are some personal photographs of Randhawa with his family. We spent many months at his residence here to zero in on the photographs. It was a tough choice, says Singh as he looks on fondly,mentioning how Nek Chand,creator of Rock Garden was supported by Randhawa.

Adjoining this gallery is the Makers of Punjab Portrait Gallery,which showcases portraits of prominent artists,musicians,writers and historians,who shaped the state. Randhawa had commissioned artists to create the portraits of prominent Punjabis,contributors to a new,independent India and its first modern city. So,you put a face to the man who was responsible for mechanised farming in Punjab like Joginder Singh and others like Norah Richards,the pioneer of Punjabi drama; Bhai Kahan Singh,who compiled the first encyclopaedia in Punjabi; Shiv Kumar Batalvi,Amrita Shergill and Faiz Ahmed Faiz. The collection is rich and famous,with many of the portraits done by the realist painters,Mehar Singh and Sobha Singh.

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Chandigarh Museum

Slideshow of Memories

Its a walk down memory lane,as portraits,paintings and photographs at the two newly refurbished galleries at Punjab Kala Bhawan,Sector 16,offer a view of the past.

Its a walk down memory lane,as portraits,paintings and photographs at the two newly refurbished galleries at Punjab Kala Bhawan,Sector 16,offer a view of the past.