Addressing a gathering on the concluding day of a three-day seminar at Patna Museum to highlight the contributions of Bihar to Indian art, organized by the state department of art, culture and youth affairs, the official said the state government was receptive to innovative ideas. The state has had a rich history and the people here are fond of development and knowledge, he said.
“Like time, art is a continuum and is divided by us only for the sake of our convenience,” said Banaras Hindu University’s art, history and tourism management professor Maruti Nandan Prasad Tiwari. He said art must never be confined to an area or region. Expressing his satisfaction over the concept of Bihar Museum, the academic urged the officials concerned to focus on displaying the artefacts in modern perspective.
Eminent poet Alok Dhanwa said places like Nalanda and Rajgir should not be considered as mere tourist attractions in the Buddha circuit but must also be known for their contributions to the world of knowledge.
Bihar State Public Library and Information Centres Authority chairman Ram Vachan Rai said ‘Arthashastra’ contains comprehensive description of Mauryan architecture. Basavan, a painter in the court of Mughal ruler Akbar, was a Bihari, he added. “The Deedarganj statue, later christened as ‘Yakshini’ by noted historian K P Jaiswal, is another example of the state’s contributions to Indian art,” said Rai.
