JULY 24: President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, met with a group of 29 distinguished traditional artists at Rashtrapati Bhavan today. These artists, representing the folk art forms of Sohrai, Pattachitra, and Patua, hailed from Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal, and were participants in the second edition of the Kala Utsav 2025 – Artists in Residence Programme hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The residency, held from July 14 to 24, 2025, was part of an initiative to celebrate India’s vibrant cultural heritage by offering traditional artists an opportunity to create, interact, and showcase their work within the historic precincts of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The initiative reflects a conscious effort to preserve and promote India’s folk, tribal, and classical art forms that have thrived for centuries, passed down through generations.
President Murmu personally visited the art exhibition held at the conclusion of the residency, where she viewed the artworks created by the artists during their 10-day stay. She expressed her heartfelt appreciation for their talent and dedication to keeping India’s indigenous art forms alive. She noted that these traditional practices are not merely aesthetic expressions but are deeply intertwined with the social and cultural identity of the regions they originate from.
Congratulating the artists, President Murmu praised their role in nurturing and safeguarding India’s artistic legacy. She emphasized the importance of creating platforms that support grassroots-level artists and bring their craft into the national spotlight. The President encouraged them to continue their journey of creativity and to inspire the next generation to take pride in India’s rich artistic traditions.
The Artists in Residence initiative under Kala Utsav has become a vital cultural platform that connects master artisans with a wider audience while reinforcing the timeless relevance of indigenous art forms in modern India. The programme also fosters dialogue among artists across states, blending inspiration with tradition.
As the second edition concluded, it marked another milestone in the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s continuing commitment to promoting cultural inclusivity and artistic diversity across the nation.
