Message from Maharaj Gaj Singh of Jodhpur

When I accepted an invitation to be the guest of honour at Mahaveer Swami's exhibition in New Delhi last winter , I was prepared to inaugurate an interesting exhibition of traditional paintings. I was not prepared for the stunning beauty of the works I found there , nor for the extraordinary talent of the artist. In short, I was acptivated by Mahaveer Swami and his paintings. Many of us in Rajasthan are committed to finding viable new ways of keeping the best of our traditions alive. In Jodhpur, our work at the Mehrangarh Meseum Trust revolves around this central concern.Our invitation to Gallery Mansur to organize an exhibition of Mahaveer Swami's work at Mehrangarh Fort was part of our on-going effort to build a collaborative network of all those who are involved in different aspects of this important work. In this way , we hope to nurture the most talented of our traditional artists, so that their unique and beautiful art forms remain vital and meaningful in a contemporary context. I am particularly pleased that we have been able to host this first exhibition of Mahaveer swami's paintings in Jodhpur under the auspices of the Mehrangarh Museum Trust. Quite apart from the potential benefits that can accrue to traditional artists from exposure to new patrons, such as foreign tourists, we hope that such exhibitions will show our own people that our traditional skills and talents still exis, and that even today inspired work emanastes from the hands of our artists.I wish this exhibition great success and look forward to a long association with Gallery Mansur in achieving our mutual objective of promoting the welfare of the artists of our region.