Odisha’s pattachitra adorns wall in Danish PM’s house

Bhubaneswar: A pattachitra painting from Odisha, gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen during her India visit in October last year, has a pride of place in her house. On Tuesday, Frederiksen gave Modi a tour of her residence in Copenhagen, during which the Denmark PM showed the painting to him. The matter came to light following a tweet by Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“Indias soft power and Odishas treasure in the form of Pattachitra painting adorns the Denmark PM HE Frederiksens residence. She gave a tour of her residence to Hon. PM @narendramodi ji and showed the painting gifted by PM Modi during her last India visit. Proud moment!,” the Union minister tweeted. The painting, that had been gifted to the Danish PM, highlights events from the Ramayana.
“People in Odisha consider the Danish PM’s move as a global recognition of Odisha's traditional art. It’s an international acclaim, which makes us feel proud of our tradition,” said Sudarsan Pattnaik, noted sand artist and president of Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi.
Abhiram Das, a pattachitra artist from Raghurajpur, a heritage crafts village in Puri district known for its pattachitra art, said the recognition makes everyone in Odisha proud of the state’s art and culture.
Odisha-born Karnataka cadre Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Dipika Bajpai, who has been popularising pattachitra globally using social media, tweeted, “There is no better gift than a slice of your cultural heritage in the form of traditional arts and crafts.”