Thiruvananthapuram: The 178th birth anniversary of renowned painter Raja Ravi Varma will be celebrated with a series of events at Ravi Varma Art Gallery in the state capital on Wednesday (Aprill 29). The celebrations will commence at 10am with a floral tribute to the legendary artist.Noted lyricist Sreekumaran Thampi will inaugurate the celebrations. As part of the commemorative programme, painter S N Sreeprakash, known for his contributions to the art and cultural spheres of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, will be honoured with the Raja Ravi Varma Kala Shreshta Award. The Raja Ravi Varma Karma Shreshta Award will be presented to Anil Bhavageetham in recognition of his 25 years of dedicated work in promoting art through the Bhavageetham Art Gallery in Thiruvananthapuram. In addition, young artists and students, Rosemary Sebastian from Thodupuzha and Srihari D Pillai from Thiruvananthapuram, will receive certificates of merit as part of the celebrations. The programme will also feature a painting camp for children, a community painting initiative, and an exhibition of works by noted artists. Prominent personalities from political, social and cultural fields are expected to attend the event. The event is being coordinated by Kilimanoor Palace Trust.
