‘I feel fortunate…’: Naresh Kumawat, sculptor behind New Parliament’s ‘Samudra Manthana’ structure talks about its theme

New Delhi: New Parliament building was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on May 28 in a grand ceremony. The pictures of the building have gone viral and people are loving the new structure for its art and the themes it reflects. Naresh Kumawat, the sculpture artist behind the new Parliament building opened up about his artwork and the theme of ‘Samudra Manthana’.

Naresh Kumawat called himself fortunate and said that he was part of the making of the ‘Samudra Manthana’ sculpture which measures 75×9 feet. He said that Parliament is a temple of ‘manthana’ (brainstorming). He also drew a parallel between the ‘amrit’ (nectar) coming out of the ‘Samudra Manthana’ and the ‘Amrit Kaal’.

#WATCH | Naresh Kumawat, Sculpture artist who made sculptures inside the new Parliament building, based on the theme of ‘Samudra Manthana’ speaks on the idea behind choosing this theme (Samudra Manthana) for the new Parliament. pic.twitter.com/W89N2fpobx

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2023

Talking about the reason behind choosing the theme, he said that the Prime Minister’s brainstorming is for the public, and the theme of ‘Samudra Manthana’ best depicted it. He mentioned that the sculpture is inspired by Angkor Wat and they used the idea of the ‘panch dhatu’ five metallic elements in it. He added that the ideation was done by the Ministry of Culture and the Indira Gandhi Centre for Arts (IGCA).

This is Samudra Manthan Sculpture in New Parliament made by @murtikarnk ji.

Love this, PM @narendramodi Ji.

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— Rupa Murthy (@rupamurthy1) May 28, 2023

He said that it was challenging but getting praise for his work by the MPs and celebrities made him feel good.

PM Modi, in his speech, dedicated the new Parliament to the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians and highlighted the essence of democracy. The new Parliament building is designed to enable 888 members to sit in the Lok Sabha itself and has technologically advanced facilities. PM Modi also lauded the work of the construction workers behind it and also talked about leaving behind the colonial mindset.