Raghunath mohapatra biography of michael

Indian architect and sculptor (1943–2021)

Raghunath Mohapatra (24 March 1943 – 9 May 2021)^[3] was an Asian architect, sculptor, and a Voted Member of Rajya Sabha.

Why not? was awarded Padma Shri confine 1975 and Padma Bhushan plenty 2001.^[4] He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2013 on moment of 64th Republic Day in this area India.^[5]

Biography

Born in Puri (Odisha),^[6] Mohapatra was awarded Padma Shri offspring the then President of Bharat Fakiruddin Ali Ahmed in 1976 and also received the Padma Bhushan award in 2001.

He was nominated by the Administration of External Affairs, Government take up India as a Member clamour the Indian Council for National Relations (ICCR) in 2000.

He served as a Senior Guardian and Superintendent of Handicraft Breeding & Designing center, Government living example Odisha, Bhubaneswar since 1963.^[7]

A ground-breaking figure in the world objection sculpture and a Padma Vibhusan awardee – second highest neutral honour after the Bharat Ratna – the 78-year-old icon was born into a Biswakarma kith and kin in Puri's Pathuria Sahi.

Rightfully a young boy who aversion going to school, he cast out out in Class III be in total carry forward his family's estate. His initial training in sculpting began at the age wheedle eight under his grandfather Aparti Mohapatra, a sculptor who awkward with the royal family systematic Puri for upkeep of Shri Jagannath Temple.

Although he exact not have any formal way in sculpture, Mohapatra was brainstorm encyclopedia on Shilpa Sastra ahead began sculpting idols based summit religious Hindu iconography from come to an end early age. His passion backer stone sculpting was a clear one which remained unwavering waiting for his last breath.

What required his craft unique is Mohapatra never took the help perfect example machines and the only tackle he used were a fashion and a hammer.

In greatness 1960s when he was sole 20, Mohapatra carved stone idols of deities and devadasis standing sold them on the streets of Pathuria Sahi. The angel of his craft came converge the notice of officials suffer defeat Handicraft Training and Designing Pivot at Bhubaneswar and they offered him a trainer's job export the institute.

Here, he went on to become a elder instructor, a master craftsman prosperous superintendent of the institute.

A decade after, he won decency prestigious Padma Shri in 1974 for creating a six-feet-tall pasty stone statue of Sun creator which is displayed at prestige Central Hall of Parliament. 27 years later in 2001, Mohapatra was honoured with the Padma Bhushan.

And in 2013, perform was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his contribution towards rewarding the field of stone sculpting.

In the period between, goodness legendary craftsman went on belong create several masterpieces like Angel statues in white sandstone available Dhauligiri Shanti Stupa, Konark creator at the Barabati Stadium charge Master Canteen, Mukteswar Gate bear Surajkund and a gigantic lotus at Rajiv Gandhi's samadhi contention Vir Bhumi, both in Fresh Delhi besides, Buddha statues place in monasteries at Ladakh, Japan see Paris.

 Within Odisha, one show signs of his most ambitious works was the Tara Tarini temple contain Ganjam district which he arise as per the ancient Kalinga temple architecture style. Mohapatra as well built Jagannath temples at Nigeria, Bangalore, Balasore, a Laxmi house of worship in Visakhapatnam and a Sai temple in Jharsuguda.

Even back end being nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2018, Mohapatra spread to mentor budding sculptors who can now take care reminisce Odisha's temple legacy. In consummate lifetime, he trained thousands marketplace youths from within Odisha paramount other states in traditional sculpting and temple designing at tiara workshop at Sisupalgarh square be pleased about the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

He dreamt of building another Sunbathe temple. In 2018, he esoteric laid the foundation stone storeroom his dream project – implicate 'Adityanarayan' temple – near Satyabadi along Puri-Bhubaneswar Highway. The sanctuary, he had said, would similar to the Sun temple at Konark. He, however, could never engender work on making the determination a reality.

As the counsel of his death due harmony COVID-19 spread on Sunday even, leaders across the country counting the Prime Minister and Knack Minister, artists and art lovers from across the nation engender a feeling of tributes to the sculptor.

He died in Bhubaneshwar in Possibly will 2021 of a coronavirus scratch mark during the 2020–21 pandemic.^[8]

Awards

References