After the sudden demise of world-renowned artist in London, Pandharpur residents feel “this is a good way of honouring both Husain and the steeped-in-Indian-tradition secular era that he represented”.
While it is well known that the reigning deity of contemporary Indian art MF Husain was born in the land of the reigning deity of Maharashtra, not many may know that the maverick artist had sketc-hed Lord Vitthal on his visit to the temple town in 1989. The sketch, which was gathering dust in the temple trust office for 22 years, may now be put on display.
After the sudden demise of world-renowned artist in London, Pandharpur residents feel “this is a good way of honouring both Husain and the steeped-in-Indian-tradition secular era that he represented”.
Vitthal Rukmini Mandir Samiti trust office bearer Pandurang Burande said, “During Husain’s visit to Pandharpur, he had come to the temple to offer his obeisance to the deity and made a sketch of Lord Vitthal. I remembered it when I saw news of his passing away on TV. I found it in the office cupboard in quite a good condition,” but added, “we will decide on if, when and where to display this rare sketch in the temple after a trustee meeting.”
The trustees, it seems are wary about deciding anything in a hurry given the background. It will be recalled that even as he scaled heights of glory and fame, controversies kept knocking on Husain’s doors for his nude paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses. The painter has admitted on several occasions his fondness for the Vitthal-Rukhmini temple.
Interestingly, Husain was awarded with the “Pandharpur Bhushan” by the local Yuvak Biradri branch on that visit. “I still remember, Husain’s felicitation at Tanpure Maharaj Mathh. Despite tasting success, glory and popularity, Husain was untouched by pride. In fact we are proud that he belongs to Pandharpur,” said Vanav Utpad a temple priest.
In an indication of the kind of times we live in, he is quick to qualify his appreciation with a rider, “If you keep aside, his controversial nude portraits of Hindu gods and goddesses, he was a really great human being.”
“It is sad and unfortunate that, Husain’s sketch has been lying in the temple office. It should’ve been displayed earlier,” he points out. He insists, “There is a nothing wrong with the sketch, then why should it be kept buried in the cupboard. We’ve suggested to the temple samiti, that the Lord Vitthal sketch should be displayed in the office.”
“The fact he is a native and from a local middle class family makes it that much more special. His father sold kandils (lamp) for a living,” Utpad reminisces. Priest and ex-president of Yuvak Biradri’s Pandhapur branch, Prashant Badve, remembered how Husain had told the audience at the felicitation that initially days, he used to paint Bollywood hoardings for four Pandharpur cinema halls.
Sources say, Khujbhuddin Bohari, a distant cousin of Husain still stays in the Kalika temple area of Pandharpur.
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