Message from Rajmata Saheb Sushila Kumari of Bikaner

Message from Rajmata Saheb of Bikaner. On the occasion of the exhibition of paintings by the Bikaner artist Shri Mahaveer swami at Junagarh Fort. The princely state of Bikaner has been virtually a flowering bed of the arts. It has also been a melting pot of several cultural traditions which brought about a great stylistic synthesis of the Hindu and Islamic ethos. The princely family of Bikaner patronized painters, architects and stone carvers over the centuries leading to climatic refinement in these art forms. The Bikaner school of miniature painting and the typical style of red sandstone architecture are a result of such an enlightened patronage. Shri Mahaveer Swami is a renowned miniature painter from Bikaner. I am happy that an exhibition of his works is being held in the Bikaner Fort. I am told that Shri Swami, who is a winner of President's National Award for excellence in craftsmanship, has shown his works in prestigious venues in India and abroad. Shri Swami is not merely a copyist but is an innovative artist who has evolved his own personal style deriving inspiration from the Bikaner school as well as other genres of Rajasthani miniature Painting. I congratulate
Shri Swami and wish him a great success.