Glimpses of Alappuzha’s history have been recreated on the walls of the 115-year-old SDV Boys School here.
A full portrait of Raja Kesava Das, pier and lighthouse at Alappuzha Port, scenes from the paddy fields of Kuttanad, coir rope-making, snakeboat race, and Kathakali art form among others now adorn the seven pillars and walls of the school.
According to Jinu George, a drawing teacher at SDV Boys School and the artist behind the paintings, it is an artistic tribute to Raja Kesava Das, the Dewan of Travancore and the founding father of Alappuzha Town.
It took more than 117 days for Mr. Jinu to finish a total of 10 pictures. Acrylic paint and enamel were used and paintings were done with knife and brush. The paintings cover an area of more than 600 sq ft. Besides, quotes from famous personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Steve Jobs, Gautama Buddha, Kunjunni Mash and so on are also displayed prominently.
Mr. Jinu says he undertook the task to overcome the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and uphold human spirit and hope. Earlier, the inspiration for the work came from S. Ramanand, manager of SDV Schools. A. Sivasubramaniam and other members of the school management supported the idea.
Mr. Jinu had earlier created works including an eight feet oil painting of St. Thomas, which was presented to Pope Francis in 2017. It is displayed in the art gallery at the Vatican.
SDV School was founded in 1905 by prominent citizens of Alappuzha after drawing inspiration from the Theosophical Society led by Annie Besant.
