Artist and Reiki healer Vidisha Goenka Bajoria transforms painting into a meditative practice. Her work invites viewers to pause and reconnect with nature—admiring flowers, leaves, butterflies—moments often lost in life’s rush.
From Kolkata roots to Rajasthan influences, her art spans self-portraits, wildlife, and cultural landscapes. Each piece explores inner healing and self-consciousness, expressing how thoughts shape our reality.
Sacred Symbolism
Large-scale Nandi watercolor painted on her bed—a challenging feat showcasing devotion and patience.
Protective Bonds
Lion couples watching over each other, symbolizing partnership and mutual care in relationships.
Spiritual Journey
Varanasi painting capturing an artist’s life span in one delightful, soul-stirring composition.
Cultural Roots
Rajasthan’s vibrant essence flows through her work, honoring heritage and identity through art.
Her book complements the exhibition, guiding readers toward healing and balance through inner soul energy. Launched at Raja Ravi Verma Art Gallery, Pune on Tuesday, 7 Oct 2025. Priced at 300 rupees.
The Chatak Monsoon Art Show 2025, inaugurated by senior artist Vittal Muppiddy, showcased a diverse collection of artworks from both established and emerging artists. This year’s event featured unique promotional strategies, including individual artist spotlights on Instagram one day before the show. The exhibition, held under the aegis of Shri Santosh Pednekar, presented a wide array of artistic expressions, ranging from portraits and mythological themes to sculptures, landscapes, cityscapes, wildlife, and abstract art. Senior officials and management from the Nehru Centre were also in attendance, highlighting the significance of this annual event in the art calendar.
The Chatak Monsoon Art Show 2025 commenced with an official inauguration led by senior artist Vittal Muppiddy from Hyderabad. The event was further graced by the presence of a distinguished group of senior officials from the Nehru Centre, who collectively lit the Samay, symbolizing the official opening of the exhibition.
Promoting New Talent and Art Visibility
A significant aspect of the Chatak Monsoon Art Show 2025 was its commitment to promoting new artists and enhancing the visibility of their work. This year, the organizers implemented a unique and effective strategy: each participating artist was individually promoted on Instagram just one day before the show’s opening.
This innovative pre-show promotion generated considerable buzz and anticipation, drawing a larger audience to discover the fresh perspectives and diverse talents on display. By actively showcasing emerging artists, the Chatak Monsoon Art Show continues to foster a dynamic and inclusive environment for artistic expression.
The Chatak Monsoon Art Show 2025 was a vibrant tapestry of artistic expressions, curated to offer something for every art enthusiast. The exhibition successfully brought together a wide variety of genres and styles, reflecting the rich diversity of contemporary Indian art.
Damodar Manohar Madgaonkar: The Elephant’s Barrier
Artist Damodar Manohar Madgaonkar explores the psychological barriers faced by elephants, drawing a parallel to their childhood experience of being tied with chains. He illustrates how this early conditioning can mentally restrict them even as adults, creating a perceived physical limitation. Ink and paper have modestly expressed the mindset of slavery.
Preeti Sethi: Mahabharata’s Epic Memories
Preeti Sethi uniquely represents moments and epic memories from the Mahabharata. With a background in various art institutes and current studies in metal sculptures, she boasts a valuable collection of 138 artifacts depicting key Mahabharata scenes. Her creative flow is nurtured by living in a serene environment in Lonavala with her family.
Nookala: Reviving Ancient Temples
Praveena Nookala presented two sculpture paintings inspired by ancient temples. Her work reflects her vision of reviving these historical sites. She engaged in discussions with Shri Milind Tawde, the in-charge of Nehru exhibitions and events, regarding her artistic endeavors.
Senior artist Vittal Muppiddy, who inaugurated the Chatak Monsoon Art Show, shared a personal anecdote about gifting a special painting to Shri Narendra Modi. This particular artwork was a seed collage, a unique medium through which Muppiddy expresses his profound love for farming and landscapes.
His passion for agriculture is evident in his artistic choice of using small seeds and grains to create intricate landscapes. This distinctive approach not only highlights his artistic skill but also his deep connection to nature and the agricultural world.
Adwait Kishore Nadavedkar: Art of Leisure
Artist Adwait Kishore Nadavedkar emphasizes the importance of leisure amidst a busy life, a theme beautifully captured in his artworks.
Nadavedkar showcased several cityscapes of Russia, illustrating urban environments with a sense of calm and introspection. One of his notable pieces features a girl engrossed in reading a book, symbolizing the quiet moments of leisure that can be found even in bustling settings.
Since 2017, Adwait Kishore Nadavedkar has been actively creating art, primarily focusing on portraits and still life. His works often invite viewers to reflect on the balance between daily routines and the essential need for personal time and relaxation.
This year’s show was meticulously planned under the guidance of Shri Santosh Pednekar, ensuring a diverse and engaging experience for all attendees. The presence of Nehru Centre’s senior management and officials underscored the institutional support and prominence of the annual art show, contributing to its success and visibility.
Bajaj Art Gallery, opens with a well-known artist, Shri Kamalkant, from Ujjain showcasing medieval sculptures and paintings that complement them. The artist says, “Stones helped him sculpt the stories or faces and shapes, rather making it by research or by inspiration.” They are very Jewish and some of these style face sculpture are also found in the Jewish Museum, similar to Italian Modigiliani long-face sculptures. Some of his friends who are architects and art critics have summarized his work.
Further, he has participated in many painting contests and has exhibited all across India. Experimenting with this kind of sculpture art has made Kamalkant find his niche and has gained notable testimonials from friends and patrons. If you are keen to know more about the Artist please visit the Bajaj Art Gallery.
Some of the summaries from Artist Kamalkant’s friend and patrons.
The exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery has display many artists this week and mostly you could find something new every time you visit. This time its nearing children’s day but there is no chacha Nehru Painting.
Dinesh Nivalkar, exhibits his contemporary art with a fresh canvas of abstract art with a dotted Madhubani like paintings which sooth your eyes. The sthula sukshma presence of Sukshma is felt, but not seen, Sthula means something that is physically tangible. From the famous Tare Zameen Pe answer jo dikhta hain wo hota nahi hain aur jo hota hain who dikhta nahi hain. Is how we can feel something but can’t see it intangible and at the same time tangible.
He also explores recycling his art through plates and bowls they look very similar to an oriental ceramic art. He started his journey from a small college and to continue his study at J J School of Arts. He also added that his father was a trainer to police and army about armaments and use to draw guns. This added to knowing that these look like a target dot to be seen from far and how to hit the bullseye. Hence, he wants to express the freedom of thought and to express, similarity between material and soul world his work is priced from 50 k to 3 lakhs.
Sanjay Shelar exhibits a role of women in mythology Chitramala he has fine paintings of all goddesses on oil on canvas. Suggesting him to make a women revolution and also be a part of the Naari Sakhti Award given by the President of India. Many women organizations fail to communicate role of women in business, society or any walk of life. These paintings can depict all such communications as devotional or even as a woman of substance.
He also exhibits travel dairies, canon ball tree, childhood experiences, joy of playing with horse as toy and real. His work is on oil and canvas with bold brush strokes.
Artist Pradip Maitra explains his art of water color, moment captured during covid filing our loneliness with the surrounding objects or materialistic possessions seem irrelevant at the time. Many have regarded his work in medium and technical handling of the brush and paint, during the lockdown we all suffered and mainly the education system. The education system was adapted to an online process which made it difficult for juniors to conceive concepts and learning or experience the teaching method of a classroom.
During this time, we all were doing nothing and this feel the heart, the book in the library came out and I started reading books which were kept inside for years. All the precious possession and valuables seemed have turned irrelevant and the digital systems have killed one’s legacy of education system. His paintings showcase precious possessions like books, musical instruments etc.
Artist Suresh Muthukulam, from Kerala has display his art depicting village life along with Lord Krishna as the center. These are unique Murals of Oil on canvas and one on Paper. The paintings bright and have been meticulously detailed with lotus and Krishna. He adds that the painting are a series of Krishna in various roles and Murals of village lady of Kerala.
A group of artists exhibited their diverse works uniquely lithographs and etching works. Abstract of windows and doors, nature paintings, metal sculptures and murals.
Artist Debamitra Chakraborty, finds her solace in the abstract of widows, doors, a durga or kali mata mandir with sindoor and old mansion wall cracks. She also mentions making abstract for different shows.
Artist Mohindar Kumar Mastana, has used bronze, brass, copper, aluminium, tin, wood to make these sculptures which are very like a chess piece some of them are take form a bottle shape and a few are made like a mesopotamian era copper sculptures. Few birds and a bird man or a feeder.
Artist Sukhwinder Singh, has won more than 20 awards for this painting as is a uniquely painted on a hand made paper. He has similarly painted nature at its best. He likes to express nature in its original form and prefers to use Hand Made paper for its texture and it can be scrubbed to form a layer of paper and paint which give a effect.
A Bengali art inheritance from the Rabi Art Gallery, founded by Rabi Paul. Currently managed by Somnatha Paul, I am here with the man who has a collection of painting which are varied and have a long history to share. He shares his vision with Mr. Tagore, he has a strong personality and has done more than 5 – 6 shows a year. He chose Jehangir Art Gallery, since it has a ready market and a good reputation. He explains why it is important for today’s art collectors to ensure they get the correct audience.
From a village near Gulbarga, were R. Biradar Halvi and Nijalingappa B who have put up a show which consist of abstract and village scenes. They have a history of working with S M Pandit a renowned artist who had made many master pieces. The abstracts use a color theory and color palate which describes one’s mood, personality and the one that complements the ambience.
Artist Ravi Lole, has a unique concept of the 5 elements or the Pancha Tatva that bring life or form a life. These elements form a unique concept of life, the art showcases the life forms in the shape of Jal, Agni, Prithvi, Vayu and Akash these have been balance of human body and yoga.
Artist Amritraj, explains his vision as a Buddha in calmness, as Buddha’s Tirthankara and many moments in life of Buddha along with a few Ganesha paintings. He has put his efforts in puppets from Rajasthan and explains how he found a puppet lying distorted and he restored the same and then though of making these lovely paintings to help us recollect when we saw these puppets at circus’s or handloom exhibitions.
Artist Sunil Manthan explains his life story in a haystacks paintings promoting agriculture and the farmers prospective. Having emotions of his own grandfather as a farmer and will have the zeal to paint realistic haystacks, cows, bicycles and farming landscapes. Artist Sunil has done more then 12 shows all across India and now aims at making haystacks as a signature paintings.
Boski Ashish Kubadia brings out natural colors on silk and this time it is on Jainism. She has a life full of experiments and most of it possible because of a lovely husband. She started her career after an early marriage, she enrolled in an interior design course at a Ghakopar College. She then pursued her portfolio and was selected for textile design at the Sir J. J. School of Art. She made several design on textile for sarees and other textile paintings. She got admission after 7 attempts since she was from the open category.
Then enrolled in a course on Jainism, where she learned about tirthankara and the birth of (Rishabdeo) Adheera Bhagwan at Ayodhya. Boski means divine and purity, hence the purest silk was named Boski. She stated that since the Boski is one of the few fabrics that has a long and rich history due to which it is one of the most expensive fabrics in the world. It is said to have originated from China and discovered by a royal empress when a silk cocoon fell in her tea one afternoon. She has created a series of Jainism paintings which are made from wooden blocks, natural colors on silk. Jainism believes in ahimsa hence have used modal silk. These paintings have given a dimension to art and medium making the nuances in textile explore this new form of art. She is keen on doing a few more exhibitions and is also open to give a demo of the painting.
It’s a pleasure to view paintings from Gopal Ch. Naskar, he has added music to the love of Radha – Krishna and created this art pieces. Each of these paintings have been made in a series of musical and animal characters depicting a group of musicians and one as a divine love of Radha and Krishna. Gopal has incorporated these paintings with musical instruments and have spent time with musicians who have helped him in creating these unique paintings. Expressing this form of love which has known no boundaries and a devotion to music and art giving a rich history of mythology.
Shivlal Saroha a painter from Delhi, who spent his early days in dire straits. He recalls keeping a sketch book handy while his struggle and keeping his head high to fulfil his dream to become an artist. Shiv has a unique style of abstract with animal and figurative art to showcase new age ideas through oil, acrylic, charcoal and mixed materials. He has been all over India and has done many solo exhibitions, a group exhibition and this is the second exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery.
Pradeep Jogdand, is from Mumbai and has qualified from J J School of Art, sculptures represented as figurative pieces made from bronze, brass and marble or black stone. He has expressed his sculptures through male, female duality. He explains his style as a expression of relief from our day to day life struggles.
Anjani Reddy a born artist from Hyderabad has been painting or had the vision of painting or becoming an artist since the age of 9 yrs. She remembers people asking what she would like to pursue as a career and she confidently said artist. Being a Reddy and as per the tradition of the community children are given education at all cost even if it’s by selling a farm land. She had an interview at Delhi competing P V Narsimha Rao’s daughter and she was selected to give that interview which was a big achievement. She started teaching at university and held many important positions in the university for art education. Having 29 yrs of experience as a teacher, she has described her passion for art same as her passion for food, she states she is fasting till she is satisfied with her art and colours. She has exhibited various works some a gold with knife painting technique showing the story of Ganesha, Krishna and a few moments she experienced while she was travelling or just events or moment she remembers in their life. Sitting with a few friends Mithu Basu has an artist movement which now building awareness of self-discovery of becoming artists.
Gondwana Art Project, modern tribal painters group show by this Non-Profit has curated very rare pieces of art from different regions of the nation. Helping artist from the rural India to create a larger space or an art movement towards creativity and creating non bias for Indian folk-art vs the International folk art. Exploring animal and figurative these artists from the rural have found a new expression of art through geometrical or abstract form, regardless the meaning or the sense it gives an aesthetic appeal to the viewer or the creator and looking at being valued and not priced.
Mr. Sandeep Bhandari, founded this initiative since 2008 and now has become a large movement with 35 artist and many looking to collaborate. The foundation curate’s artistic works from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and northern Indian region. Gondwana has many paintings from the curator’s collection and will have more ideological movement towards international accreditation or recognition.
The DAG art gallery has displayed a show of Bengal Kalighat paintings which are of historic and mythological epitome. Avni explains that these paintings were made from artist at Calcutta and were sold as souvenirs to Britishers. The canvas and paint brushes were imported from Great Britain. As a ritual followed by Sati, that a widow was burned in the same fire of the husband’s cremation. Once this practice was opposed by the Indian legal system, the widows were sometimes forced to prostitution. These paintings were by Kalighat painters in a cheeky A4 size these are called the Babu and Bazaar paintings. These were made on the streets by painters on a daily routine that could earn a per painting made quickly like a sketch.
These are pre-independence painters who have painted some fine moments in Hindu Mythology, Krishna meeting Pandavas, Kurukshetra War, Shiva Avatars and many more. You can also find some oriental style painting on glass which can be lit with a light on the back. Some of these paintings are made with gold and are rare to find, even though the artists are unknown but these have been curated by DAG some them have been collected from european artists who had created these at that era during their journey to India.
There is a display of small bazaar paintings 50 arranged in a row and column to make this a wall full of such paintings. Is a collage of bazaar and babu paintings as referred by the Bengal Artist Groups.
It’s now the mid-April and Ram Navami has begun we have also noticed that we will be at the rhetoric level of achievers exhibiting at the Jehangir Art Gallery. Starting with women, Mrs. Poornima Athawale is a Warli painting artist and has created a great passion for it by teaching this skill to the tribal girls near the Lonavala and Nasik belt known as the pada. Poornima has also been part of several other initiatives such as tree plantations, food delivery during covid and medical camps for dental and eye diseases. Meeting her helped learn about the Sadgun and how she has transformed the community by teaching sadgun she has created the feeling of spreading good thoughts and good deeds.
They have exhibited Warli Paintings, which are only for display not for sale. Poornima wants to color some houses near her village and will be done by December or October. She has been accompanied by Sayeed Shaikh for this mission or aim to better the tribals.
Meeting the couple who has decorated the Jehangir Art Gallery walls, they met at college at Indore the city that produced artist like M F Husain. Pradeep is a fine art graduate from Indore along with his wife Mansa, they have articulated the time and its balance in life, as the famous song, “Zindagi Ke safar me guzar jaate hain to makaam who phir nahi aate, who phir nahi aate.” A clock in every painting has made us realise that time is best spent at the present and also that time is very precious. The moments captured are very symbolic to all our lives and have given us these memories to make a life better.
Our most beloved Punekar Mr. Laxman Chavan has showcased his abstract work before buddha, since buddha was married at 15 years of age and died during meditation and his last wish was to be burn in a pan and his ashes been spread in different parts of the Shakya republic. Laxman has been working on these Before Buddha for the past 15 years and has been at Jehanghir Art Gallery for a solo exhibition which is very unique and symbolically depicts Buddha Meditating with birds and Garuda. Buddha has many such significant instances with Buddha Meditating and conversing with birds and animals.
Just as a bird, wherever it goes, flies with its wings as its only burden, so too, the bhikkhu becomes content with robes to protect his body and with almsfood to maintain his stomach, and wherever he goes he sets out taking only these with him. Possessing this aggregate of noble virtue, he experiences within himself a bliss that is blameless. Said by Gautam Buddha.
A group of artist who have displayed various works and are from different regions of the country. Rainbow 7, is the group of artist who will have collaborated for this show, sculptures from Ms. Nivedita Mishra an artist form Delhi has tried to show the Yogini’s and used bronze with railway tracks from the junk yard. Suresh Moon shows the democracy or mother India is in the last stage will be interesting to learn from reactions from people who want improve the nation or what to help build a better nation. Shuba ji puts her experiences in life on canvas through a mix mediums. Murlidharan has put up with abstract with making imagination of his life for a color and material mix. 7 of them together have put up a great show.
Tvastra a new age NGO founded by Mr. Sumit Sharma, Mrs. Priya Sharma and Mr. Manoj Sharma. They aim to train students or children from BMC schools by artists to be able get skilled in arts and further make a name in the world of art. Displaying their daughters work as she turned 21 yrs. She has made these memories from her school, art classes and self-taught journey of an artist. Based in Andheri they want to help build a art resource for the less fortunate to learn and earn from art and its allied industry. A unique give away is photo-frame with a magnetic strip to be stuck on the refrigerator.
Being a Holi special and Banaras or Varanasi is symbolic to holi festival and colour, Shri Nanasaheb Yeole has presented a series of Banaras, Ganga River Bank scene paintings named as Kashi Dham. Depicting holi temples and pandits along with the boats and colorful people. A very rustic yet a modern approach with new age color tones of the dusk and the dawn. An alumnus from the J. J. School of Art and having several shows across the world has setup a show for a delightful banaras paintings.
We will find a group exhibition of 7 friends who met long ago and decided to put up a show just on this colorful occasion. They are all unique, Akash Suryavanshi, mix media in canvas displays mode of transport. Babar Shareef, displays art between dreams and reality. Mahesh Mankar, mix media displays why we are so foolish or absurd. Narottam Das, ceramic, terracotta clay, sculptures display traditional and tribal scenario in a rural setup. Pankaj Itkelwar, comparing human emotions and the life situations with crows. Ramesh Chandra, black and white marble souvenir that showcase a connectedness with earth and all forms of life with spiritual and physical world.
In any form of god spirituality exist in our life, be it paintings, essays, scriptures, songs, manuscripts or even an act of kindness. We are now witnessing a fine artist from Pune, Shri Shankar Devarukhe has put his soul in all his paintings from Krishna, Ganesha, Modern art to portraits.
Looking forward for more enthusiasm inn our coming painters.
This Holi we have a special photographer from Rajasthan who has displayed stories of a common life and now not able to capture in the old or vintage times. Photographer Tarun Chauhan does justice to all travellers and photo story ideates for a glance at the vintage ambiance at he Jehangir Photogallery on the terrace.
You can try asking some ideas on which camera to buy and a few angles to try while clicking family or your girl friend.
