Jagannath painting by Bhaiya Sinha (class 8), Odisha
The painting of Lord Jagannath by Bhaiya Shreyansh Sinha (class 8) from D.A.V. Public School, Jharsuguda, Odisha, was shortlisted in Khula Aasmaan children’s painting competition for the period April to June 2019. Khula Aasmaan is a free platform for children (5 to 15 years) and young adults (16 to 25 years). Khula Aasmaan was created to encourage and facilitate creative thought and creative expression by the children and young adults. Khula Aasmaan organises painting contest for children and art contest for college students.

Child artist Bhaiya Sinha describes his Jagannath painting
My drawing highlights Lord Jagannath of Puri, Odisha. The topic came to my mind when I heard a story from my teacher that once a priest of Jagannath temple said that Lord does not accept offerings from ‘Muslims’ or ‘inferiors’ which was proved to be wrong, when he accepted the offering of a coconut from a ‘muslims’ named ‘Salvage’. The story gives us a message that no one in this world is superior or inferior in the eyes of that ultimate power and this message is depicted by my drawing.
Listen to Bhaiya Sinha talk about his painting of Lord Jagannath
Jagannath – Lord of Universe
Jagannath is considered a form of Vishnu. The icon of Jagannath is a carved and decorated wooden stump with large round eyes and a symmetric face, and the icon has a conspicuous absence of hands or legs. Jagannath is considered a non-sectarian deity. The Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha is particularly significant in Vaishnavism, and is regarded as one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites in India.
The annual festival of Ratha Yatra, which is dedicated to Jagannath, is celebrated in June or July every year in eastern states of India. Coinciding with the Ratha Yatra festival at Puri, similar processions are organized throughout the world. This festive public procession in Puri, where the heavy carriage becomes a “massive inexorable force, an unstoppable public campaign that crushes whatever is in its path”, is the source of the word juggernaut. (source : Wikipedia)
Listen to other shortlisted and medal winners from Khula Aasmaan painting competition
Child artist Neil Gaur on his painting
Doctor painting, a dream painting by Shilpa Dombare (class 9)