Lauding his unique works of art - 'Tree of Life,' the Odisha government today felicitated Pattachitra artist Bhaskar Mohapatra at a function here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gifted Mohapatra's Pattachitra painting on silk "Tree of Life" to French President Francois Hollande.
Odisha's culture and tourism minister Ashok Chandra Panda and department secretary Aravind Padhi felicitated Mohapatra and said he has made Odisha proud by his excellent work.
"I had created the 'Tree of Life' not to get any award, but on the occasion of Lord Jagannath's Nabakalebara festival," Mohapatra, a native of the famous heritage village Raghurajpur in Puri district, said after receiving the felicitation.
Interestingly, Mohapatra was unaware about his painting
attracting global attention.
"I came to know about it last evening after reporters called me up to convey that my painting was the Prime Minister's gift to the French President," he said.
"I was told that the 'Tree of Life' will find place in a French museum, but do not know how it reached the Prime Minister," he said.
The 'Tree of Life' was created a silk cloth and Mohapatra used traditional natural colours for the painting.
