Kin of artist who painted Ashoka Pillar for Constitution document ask govt to make efforts to keep his memory alive

The kin of an artist credited with painting the Ashoka Pillar for the original Constitution document said on the eve of Independence Day that the government must do something so that the memory of his feat is perpetuated. Dinanath Bhargava, who was born in Multai in Betul in Madhya Pradesh and died at the age of 89 in Indore on December 24, 2016, was entrusted with the work of painting the Ashoka Pillar for the Constitution by renowned painter Nandlal Bose, the former's son Soumitra Bhargava (55) told PTI. "From government documents to currency, the impression of the Ashoka Pillar painted by my father can be seen. However, he did not get proper respect while he was alive or even after seven years of his death," his son said. "Some train, national highway, art centre, university or stadium should be named after my father or else his memory will get buried in the pages of history. I have met public representatives of the Union government but no concrete step has been taken so far," he said. Then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had entrusted the task of designing the original Constitution document to Nandlal Bose, a renowned painter and principal of Kala Bhavan of Rabindranath Tagore's Shantiniketan, claimed Soumitra Bhargava. "Nandlal Bose gave the work of painting the Ashoka Pillar to my father, who was studying art at Shantiniketan at the age of 21. My father went to Kolkata Zoo for three months to keep a close watch on the movement of lions so that he could bring his painting to life," he said. The late painter's daughter-in-law Sapekshi said the former told her the three lions seen in this replica, made using gold-leaf ink on imported paper, represent the concept of a male, female and her cub. "When my father-in-law was painting the Ashoka Pillar for the Constitution, a brush dipped in paint fell on the paper, spoiling the work. He then painted anew and this was used in the original Constitution document," she said.

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Kin of artist who painted Ashoka Pillar for Constitution document ask govt to make efforts to keep his memory alive

The late Dinanath Bhargava's daughter-in-law said the former told her the three lions seen in this replica, made using gold-leaf ink on imported paper, represent the concept of a male, female and her cub.

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