Two Vellore girls give life to Mahatma Gandhi through strokes of brush

Around 150 portraits made by these girls made it to the galleries of the famous Fort Museum for a week-long special exhibition.

S Rajeshwari and R Gayatri look at their painting of Mahatma Gandhi| Express

VELLORE: It was a dream come true for the two Class XII girls. Their joy found no bounds when around 150 portraits of Mahatma Gandhi made by them finally made it were embedded on the galleries of the famous Vellore Fort Museum for a week-long special exhibition coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi’s 150^th birth anniversary.

S Rajeshwari and her close friend for 12 years R Gayatri burnt the night’s oil to give life to the greatest leader of the nation through the stroke of the brushes. Their commitment towards painting the portraits of Gandhi made them endure the pain of spending time late in the night and early in the morning, besides earnestly studying their regular school texts.

"We were excited to have our portraits find a place in the galleries of the Fort Museum. Our long time dream has come true. It’s giving us a lot of encouragement and motivation to move forward with confidence," Gayatri told Express. The special exhibition, inaugurated on October 7 in the Fort Museum, evoked better response among the visitors.

According to K Saravanan, Curator of Fort Museum, "In appreciation of the efforts. these two girls had taken for months, we arranged the special exhibition marking the 150^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in the museum. The portraits attracted appreciation from many visitors."

S Selvaganesh, an art teacher employed with the Panchayat Union Middle School, Sathuvachari, has been the chief motivator of the girls since when they joined the school in Class V. He has been honing their skills with the brush all these years. "Since they are about nine years old, I have been training them in art work. I could spot the innate talent and began motivating them," he said proudly.

Rajeshwari and Gayatri spent about three months to complete the task and take their portraits to decorate the galleries. "I have been guiding them for about three months in drawing the portraits. It was, really, a strenuous effort requiring patience," said Selvaganesh.

The girls, from poor social background, have won accolades at the district level competitions. Now, they aim to achieve greater feats.

The portraits helped the visitors, particularly the younger generation, learn the history of Indian Independence struggle and the unparalleled contribution of Mahatma Gandhi in breaking the clutches of the colonial British rulers to free the nation.