Bhubaneswar, Jan 18 President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Saturday visited heritage crafts village Raghurajpur and the famous 13th century Sun Temple at Konark in Puri.
The president and his wife were accorded a grand welcome at the village with traditional Gotipua dance and other cultural programmes. The couple spent over an hour at the heritage village which is well-known for its diverse range of artistic traditions, including Pattachitra art, Tala Patra Chitra (Palm Leaf engravings), Stone Sculpture, Gotipua Semi-classical Dance, etc.
They also interacted with the artists there and a purchased two Pattachitra paintings on various themes of Ramayana and Lord Ganesh from the artists.
“Raghurajpur heritage community accorded a welcome to the President of Singapore today. Later, we also demonstrated the process of making the Pattachitra paintings as he tried to know how we create such artwork. He was pleased and bought two Pattachitra paintings from us,” said Pattachitra artist Prasant Kumar Subudhi.
Meanwhile, President Shanmugaratnam also received a handmade painting presented by a young artist Ayush Mohapatra of the Raghurajpur village. The beautiful painting has President Shanmugaratnam and the first lady of Singapore in the backdrop of Puri Jagannath Temple.
The couple later visited the 13th century majestic Sun temple at Konark in Puri where they were welcomed by the officials of Archaeological Survey of India.
The Puri police had put in elaborate security arrangements in view of the visit of President Shanmugaratnam to Raghurajpur and Konark Sun Temple.
Shanmugaratnam had earlier on Friday spent engaging four hours at Kala Bhoomi, the Handicrafts Museum in Bhubaneswar. He praised the rich art, handloom, and craftsmanship of Odisha. He was accompanied by Odisha Governor Dr Haribabu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
President Shanmugaratnam explored various galleries at Kala Bhoomi, spending significant time in the Jagannath Gallery.
He lauded Odisha’s spiritual essence and cultural traditions, which were beautifully showcased in the exhibits.
A highlight of the visit was the purchase of a saree by the President’s wife, who paid for it via UPI, reflecting India’s global leadership in digital payment systems.
During the visit, the President and his wife were treated to a traditional Odia dinner, followed by a cultural program. The performance included Odissi dance and a fusion of Odisha and Singaporean dance styles. President Shanmugaratnam expressed deep admiration for Odissi music and dance, calling it a unique and captivating art form.
The President described Odisha’s cuisine as exceptionally delicious and praised its authentic flavors. The evening’s cultural exchange highlighted the strong ties between Odisha and Singapore.
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