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Nepali Ladies- A Work of B.B Rai |
It
is said that each acts of an individual is an art and such acts of human always
have some artistic values. The human history has witnessed such behaviours of
human society from time immemorial. The arts and objet d'art of Indus valley Civilization, Egyptian Civilization,
Chinese Civilization and even before it, the anonymous and indecipherable arts
of the Stone Age has rendered us some important information for the study of
human history. Therefore, art in human society exists since the evolutionary
period and has played an important role in expressing hidden feelings of an
individual or in many cases the feelings of a whole society. This is also a
story related to an artist, or in a truer sense a watercolourist of Sikkim, who
has been able to stand himself on a distinct platform of the whole artist
fraternity.
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Best Painter Award 2007 |
Mr.
Bal Bahadur Rai, popularly known as B.B. Rai was born on 4th May
1950 at Tinzir Busty, Namchi in South Sikkim. He was the youngest son of late
Jaharman and late Ashalacchi Rai. Mr. Rai got his elementary education at
Namchi under the guidance of the important pillar of Sikkimese Nepali
literature Late Agam Singh Tamang “Apatan”. In 1959, Mr. Rai got stipend from
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of India and went to Birla Vidhya
Mandir Nainital for his further education. For his outstanding performance in Matriculation
in 1966, the Uttar Pradesh Government had provided him scholarship for his
further studies but, he could not continue his studies due to some personal
circumstances. After accomplishing his matriculation from Birla Vidhya Mandir,
Mr. Rai came back to Sikkim and completed his B.Sc. from Darjeeling Govt.
College and started his service to the state as a teacher.
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Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal with Hope Cooke |
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Smoking Devkota |
During
his stay at Nainital, the eminent figure of Indian Cine world, Mr. Danny
Denzongpa used to be his senior. It is from Mr. Rai, I have been able to secure
much information about our own Danny. While asking about his inclination
towards painting, Mr. Rai has told me that he used to make various arts on the Biskun (food grain kept in a courtyard
for drying purpose) and was fond of his eldest brother late Kabirman Rai, who
also used to be an artist of repute. The only question when should I be a good
artist? used to reign the infant mind of Mr. Rai. His childhood task was to look
after the Biskun, where he got plenty
of time to spend in making sketches of various characters. Thus, a Sikkimese
artist grew up at the courtyard making various sketches on Biskun. His talent is noticeable in Vatayan, a monthly magazine of Tilak House of Birla Vidhya Mandir
Nainital. This magazine was published by the Tilak House of the school on the occasion
of 107th Birth Anneversary of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak in July
1963. As a student of Class VII, Mr. Bal Bahadur Rai has made a beautiful
sketch of Lokmanya Tilak in the front page of the said magazine. His proficiency
of art as a young artist is clearly manifested in the sketch of Lokmanya.
Mr.
Rai, continued his passion of painting even after his service and has received
many awards and certificates both from the state and central art academies. One
of his paintings was among the fifth best paintings in an exhibition BRUSH
STROKE hosted by Sikkim Academy in 2005. Further, he has exhibited his
paintings in various places and has been able to receive approbation from the
visitors throughout the country. He is also the founding President of Indradhanush Chitrakala Sanstha and is
also associated with various art forums of the state and of the nation. He was
also awarded as the Best Painter on the eve of State Day by the Government of
Sikkim in 2007.
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Portrait of Lepcha Bhutia & Nepali |
Apart
from a watercolourist, Mr. Rai is also a versatile singer. Though, he has not
recorded any songs so far, but has some remarkable experiences about his
singing. During the visit of Shree Panch
Maharajadhiraj Mahendra Bir Vikram Shah Dev, the former king of Nepal to
Birla Vidhya Mandir, Nainital in 1965, Mr. Rai sang a Nepali song Swadeshko
Mayale aaja Mero Man Rulayo. The lyric of this song was penned by his ideal
teacher Late Agam Singh Tamang “Apatan”.
His Majesty the king of Nepal got poignant after listening to this song performed
by Mr. Rai. There were many other fellows from the mainland of India who were
also in the group to sing the Nepali song in the respect of His Majesty the
King of Nepal. From his talks it appears that the students of Sikkim at Birla
Vidhya Mandir used to be excessively talented.
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Jesus Christ being taken out of the Cross |
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Portrait of Bal Gangadhar Tilak by B.B. Rai on Vatayan 1963 |
After
getting voluntary retirement as a Joint Director Planning and Development,
Government of Sikkim, Mr. B.B Rai has dedicated himself in painting. His favourite
is oil painting but his brush has touched all the other rivulet of paintings as
well. His portrait of Smoking Devkota
is indeed the best of its kind and also a new imagination of him. Similarly,
the painting of Jesus, in which Mr. Rai has featured the corpse of Jesus, is
taking out from the Cross by his followers. I have seen many paintings of Lord
Jesus that also includes the Last Supper, but, this painting by Mr. Rai is a
new and novel for me. Likewise, the painting featuring last Chogyal Palden Thondup
Namgyal and his Queen Hope Cooke of Sikkim is a beautiful creation of Mr. Bal Bahadur
Rai. Here I am reminding the famous saying of Bal Krishna Sama, the eminent writer of Nepali literature “Hey Ishwar, yedi pratibha garibko Jhopadi mai janmincha bhane malai
aajha dukha dey”... Oh God!! If a calibre only borns in the hut of a poor; make
me broke.
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