PATHANAMTHITTA: Jasna Salim, a Muslim woman from Kozhikode, had gained attention through her Lord Krishna paintings a few years ago. On Sunday, the 28-year-old accomplished a long-cherished dream — to present a Lord Krishna painting before the deity. Though she has painted over 500 pictures of Little Krishna over the past six years, she had never received a chance to present her painting inside a temple, until now.
“It was a big dream of mine to see Lord Krishna’s idol and to present my painting before the deity. I’m delighted to have been able to fulfil that wish at the Ulanadu Sree Krishna Swamy temple in Pandalam. I have no words to express my happiness, and my gratitude to the temple authorities,” Jasna said.
The fulfilment of her wish came about after a devotees’ group approached her seeking an artwork to be gifted to the Ulanadu Sree Krishna Swamy temple as her paintings of little Krishna sitting with a butter pot had gone viral on social media. Jasna, a mother of two, is not a trained artist. In fact, she struggled with even routine drawing during her schooldays.
“My hands would shiver when teachers asked me to draw a map. I began to paint Lord Krishna images quite accidentally,” she said. While the construction of their house was on, they bought some old paper for domestic purposes. Amid that, a picture of Lord Krishna sitting with a butter pot caught her attention.
Jasna gifts her 1st painting to Hindu friend
“It was very striking. I’m the youngest of three sisters in our family. Right from childhood, my parents and other family members called me ‘Kanna’ fondly. So when I saw the picture of Lord Krishna, it ignited an urge in me to paint one such picture,” said Jasna. She gifted her first painting to one of her Hindu friends.
“Later, the family told me that a lot of good changes had happened in their lives after they placed my painting inside their home. That inspired me, and thereafter many people approached me for the Lord Krishna paintings,” Jasna said.
People from different walks of life have bought her paintings.
“I have been gifting my paintings of Lord Krishna to the Guruvayur temple for the past six years, during Vishu and Sree Krishna Jayanti celebrations. I can only paint one image to perfection — Little Krishna sitting with a butter pot. And everyone is demanding that image. I wish I could gift a Lord Krishna painting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi one day,” Jasna said.
ALSO WATCH | Meet the 22-year-old student using LEGO to create 'prosthetic arms' | Good News