Rich tributes to Guruji

The condolence meeting for Adilabad’s Kala Ashram founder Guruji Ravinder Sharma was a solemn affair on Wednesday, with scores of his followers and well-wishers from across the country gathering here to pay tributes to the philospher-artist, who had passed away on April 29.

Amid rich tributes came the resolution to continue his work with the Ashram as the core. Other similar facilities elsewhere in the country would be the functional arms.

Speakers opened up about their association and what they had learnt from Guruji. The latter was considered to be an expert in the ‘Indian way of life’, which had space for all.

The Kala Ashram founder had been given the ‘Kala Ratna’ award by the united Andhra Pradesh government in 2014 and the Ugadi Puraskaram by the Telangana government the next year. He had studied the way of life in the countryside around Adilabad town for about 20 years, until the mid 1970s. Based on what he saw and experienced, he is said to have rediscovered the beauty of the Indian way of life. It was this experience which he shared with those who came in contact with him. He talked about rural economy and the cohesion between different communities which it fostered.

Among those who attended the condolence meeting were well known educationist and columnist Pawan Gupta from Uttarakhand, the Swamy of Siddheshwar Mutt in Kolhapur, Andhra University (Visakhapatnam) head of department of fine arts Sudhakar Reddy, head of the Magan Sangrahalaya of Wardha in Maharashtra Vibha Deshpande, Sunila Deshpande of Sampoorna Bamboo Kendra in Maharashtra, industrialist Balraj Goud, craftsman Shyam Rao Pendharkar, filmmaker B. Narsing Rao, and Prashanth V. Kumar of the Art of Life in Bengaluru. The family members of Guruji were also present on the occasion.