On Dec.29, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitaraman, laid the foundation stone for the extension block of the Rukmini Devi Museum at the Kalakshetra campus.
She paid her tribute to Rukmini Devi. As she perused the collection at the museum, she said, “It feels great to go through Rukmini Devi’s collection beautifully curated by the staff members of the Kalakshetra Foundation. Her collection speaks for her choices and speaks for the India she wanted to represent. It’s only appropriate that a museum has been created for the same. I thought, that preserving her sarees, about 75 of them, all woven here, was even more touching. She stands out as a symbol of a weaving tradition of which India can be proud of. It has been a sacred experience for me to unveil the saree collection before all.”
The minister also recollected the unique collection of books housed at the U.Ve.Swaminathan library, like the ‘Brief History of Udayana’, a book on the ancient King Udayana, which describes the lifestyle of that era. “Rukmini Devi has made a serious attempt to showcase the lifestyle of people from the Pre-Sangam era (like during the reign of King Udayana) till her generation – in all the forms of arts & crafts and culture. Thus Kalakshetra, for me, is not just a building or a green campus, it is an experience,” she passionately explained.
She also requested the Ministry of Culture to give such institutes the required attention, which will take forward our traditions for many more years to come, portray them in new ways eg., lectures on the writings of Sadasiva Brahmendra, books of U.Ve.Swaminathan etc.
Describing her experience, the minister said, “Rukmini Devi was a leader and a cultural ambassador. Words are inadequate to describe her contribution and her worldwide vision. Kalakshetra breathes and speaks Rukmini Devi. She has made a huge impact on me that is more than enough for me to keep me rooted in my country. I want to be part of this rich heritage; and the more I learn, the more the better as an individual I am.”
Also present at the event were S.Ramadorai, Chairman of Kalakshetra Foundation, and Aneish P. Rajan, Director in-charge of Kalakshetra and Director of Akademies, the Union Ministry of Culture. The Minister also attended the 70th Annual Art Festival, ongoing at the venue.
