By Parabhakti Dasa
In anticipation of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Italy, Her Excellency Vani Rao, Ambassador of India to Italy, reached out to me regarding a project of great symbolic and cultural significance: commissioning an Italian devotee artist to create a work that captures the very soul of India.
The initiative was conceived as a way to strengthen, from both cultural and spiritual perspectives, the historic bond between India and Italy, two ancient civilizations united by an extraordinary sensitivity to art, philosophy, and the inner life.
The chosen subject was a panoramic view of Varanasi, one of the oldest and most spiritually resonant cities in the world, a universal symbol of India’s millenary tradition and the profound sacred dimension that permeates its culture.
There was no doubt in my mind about who should undertake such a work; it was Jnananjana Dasa, born Giampaolo Tomassetti. An artist of extraordinary sensitivity and one of the pioneers of devotional art within our Hare Krishna movement, he played a fundamental role in the development of the Vaishnava Art Academy alongside Ram Das and Dhrti Devi Dasi, renowned disciples of Srila Prabhupada, personally instructed by him. The Academy, together with the one in Los Angeles, contributed significantly to the illustrations found in Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) publications, works that have inspired millions of people around the world.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/italian-devotee-artist-presents-varanasi-work-to-pm-modi/
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