Adilabad: Retired teacher’s creative way of gifting
Adilabad: Samala Rajyavardhan, a retired government teacher from Adilabad town is an epitome of versatility. He is a promising radio jockey, painter and writer. He carved a niche for himself by drawing portraits of his students, friends, relatives, teachers and colleagues on marriages, transfers and tragic occasions and gifting to them.
Who wouldn’t love to present a gift to loved ones? Invariably, most of the gifts don’t last long and are easily forgotten. But, Rajyavardhan’s portraits enthrall receivers even as they are intangible. He claimed that he drew over 2,000 portraits of his friends, colleagues, relatives and admirers of his father and Central Sahitya Akademi award winner Samala Sadasiva so far.
“I learned this art from my father who used to produce outstanding works of art since his childhood. I was always interested in pursuing a course at a fine arts college, but could not fulfill the desire. I have, however, been continuing my passion in this field after cracking a post in the education department and post retirement in 2015,” Rajyavardhan told ‘Telangana Today.’
The teacher started art as a hobby and would initially draw the portraits of his students using water and oil colors. Some of the students requested him to sketch the photographs of their parents, who died of some diseases and were killed by road accidents. He laid a special focus on this forte when he received applause for his two art works copied from his favorite painter Raja Ravi Varma during his post-graduation.
The multi-faceted teacher is now drawing portraits with pencils and ball pens for free. “I don’t want to make profits from this art. All I need to leave an indelible mark in one’s life by giving this gift. I am elated to find the portraits preserved carefully,” he disclosed. He added that the activity was becoming expensive but he was content with the pleasure.
Drawing inspiration from Rajyavardhan, his son Koushik and daughter Lavanya ventured into drawing images of nature, people, animals and birds. He says he was proud that his daughter could produce better paints than him. His father Sadasiva won the Central Sahitya Akademi award for his book Swaralayalu on Hindustani music in 2011.