From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: President Bill Clinton will be presented an ivory
painting and a portrait painstakingly created with three months
of labour by a Delhi-based Kannad artist to preserve as
mementoes that rekindle memories of his visit to India next
week.

The oil painting on the 3" by 1" ivory piece depicts facscimile
portrait of Clinton on one side and the national flags of India
and the United States on the other side.

The huge portrait conceptualises Clinton delivering an address
in India with the Indian Tricolour on one side and the American
flag on the other side of his dias.

Clinton will, however, not be the first American President to
receive the two artworks of Karnataka "Rajyotsava" awardee
Bhimrao Murgod, who takes credit in making portraits of over 350
world personalities.

Jimmy Carter, who had visited India 22 years ago in 1978 as the
US President, was also presented a portrait made in his honour
by the same Bhimrao.

The portrait was presented to Carter by Atal Bihari Vajpayee,
who was then the External Affairs Minister in the Morarji Desai
Government, and Bhimrao wants his mememtoes to be handed over to
Clinton by Vajpayee and none else. He is being helped by Union
Culture Minister Ananth Kumar to fulfil his wish.

Bhimrao has drawn portraits of renowned personalities like
Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, Indira Gandhi, Pandit Ravi
Shankar, Aruna Asaf Ali and Raja Ramanna. He also made a
portrait of artist M F Hussain as a tribute to an artist by
another artist.

Ananth Kumar is not only helping Bhimrao in presentation of his
artworks to Clinton but he is also trying to mount exhibition of
portraits by Bhimrao in some of the world capitals under the
auspices of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. END.
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