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A unique confluence of eternal culture, folk traditions and spiritual splendor is going to be seen on the historical land of Uttar Pradesh. The state government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is going to launch a massive cultural campaign to connect the rich art, heritage and ancient traditions of the state with the consciousness of the new generation and to provide a common platform to established and budding artists across the country. Under this special action plan, it has been decided to organize three grand art workshops and national-international camps in three major cultural centers of Uttar Pradesh – Ayodhya, Lucknow and Varanasi. Through these programs being organized under the joint aegis of the State Lalit Kala Academy, Tourism and Culture Department and prestigious higher educational institutions, the ideals of Lord Shri Ram and Ramayana, centuries-old folk painting styles and the supernatural spiritual heritage of the salvation-giving Mother Ganga and the eternal Kashi will be realized on canvas.
The first grand stop of this cultural series will be Ayodhya Dham, the holy birthplace of Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram. A national workshop and academic lecture series titled ‘Ram, Ramayana and Ayodhya’ is being organized on the picturesque banks of the famous Ram Ki Paidi and the sacred Guptar Ghat in Ayodhya in collaboration with Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University from 22 to 26 October. 25 prominent painters and 10 prominent art and culture experts from different states of the country will participate in this five-day prestigious event. The basic objective of this national camp is to present the cultural importance of Ramcharit and the events of Ramayana period in a modern artistic view, so that the devotees coming from India and abroad and the local young generation can get an opportunity to deeply understand the vibrant cultural tradition of Ayodhya, the philosophy of sacrifice and dignity through art.
A grand event of a five-day folk and traditional art camp named ‘Lokedhara’ will be organized at the State Lalit Kala Academy premises in the capital Lucknow from 18th to 22nd November. The primary objective of this unique platform is to provide an active and vibrant platform to the endangered folk arts and tribal styles of India, where art seekers, researchers and common art lovers can sit together and directly practice the basic techniques of traditional arts. In this camp, the dignified participation of about 35 to 40 traditional folk art practitioners, including veteran artists and national award winners, who have been decorated with Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian honours, has been ensured. Along with this, 25 brilliant art students from Faculty of Fine Arts, Lucknow University, Dr. Shakuntala Mishra National Rehabilitation University, Amity University, Goyal Institute, Techno Institute and Vamsi Institute of Fine Arts and Design will get a rare opportunity to work live in the company of these stalwarts.
In the ‘Lokdhara’ camp, the traditional clay painting styles of India like Gond and Bhil art of Madhya Pradesh, world famous Madhubani and Godna painting of Bihar, Pithora of Gujarat-Madhya Pradesh, miniature painting of Rajasthan and Kohbar of Mithila and Awadh will be displayed live. In this event, eminent art gurus like Padmashree Durgabai, Padmashree Bhuribai, Padmashree Shivam Paswan, Padmashree Paresh Ravua, Padmashree Mahavir Swami and Padmashree Shyam Sharma will share their lifetime experiences with young artists. According to the detailed outline of the five-day event, the art creation will begin with the inauguration and launch of the studio on November 18; There will be live performances and technical interaction sessions by senior artists on 19th November; There will be a masterclass and guidance exercise on November 20; On November 21, there will be a question-and-answer and practical workshop on the use of traditional colors and techniques; And on November 22, the camp will formally conclude with a grand exhibition of the finished works.
The third and final phase of this cultural triveni will be held in the religious city of Varanasi in the second week of December 2026. In joint collaboration with Ganga Mahasabha and State Lalit Kala Academy, a four-day ‘Kashi Flow’ international art camp and exhibition will be organized on the holy ghats of Ganga. The main objective of this international camp is to document the immortal spiritual consciousness of Kashi, the uninterrupted Ganga, the cultural lifestyle of the Ghats and the vibrant ethos of Banaras before the global art world. Many eminent artists from India and abroad including Varanasi, Vrindavan, Dehradun, Mathura, Delhi, Jaipur, Bhopal, Odisha, Lakhimpur, Sirsa, Mau and Meerut will participate in this event. Through ‘Kashi Flow’, cultural symbols like the grand Ram Temple of Ayodhya, the navy form of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham and the Mahakumbh tradition of Prayagraj will be given a new philosophical height on canvas.
State Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh, while appreciating this massive initiative, said that the art and culture of Uttar Pradesh is not only our identity, but it is an invaluable spiritual heritage for our future generations. The government has a clear resolve that instead of limiting art only to the walls of museums and government archives, it should be connected with the everyday lives of the common people, youth and students. He expressed confidence that these camps in Ayodhya, Lucknow and Kashi will prove to be a milestone in transferring the experience of senior artists to new talents and establishing the cultural aura of UP on the world stage. At the same time, Additional Chief Secretary of Culture and Charitable Affairs Department, Amrit Abhijat underlined that the basic goal of these three events is to establish an unbroken dialogue between tradition, contemporary creativity and the new generation. While ‘Lokshadhara’ will provide practical training to young artistes in traditional art and systematic documentation of folk techniques, concrete steps will also be taken towards developing it as an annual calendar festival in future so that the message of ‘Our Culture, Our Strength’ can resonate across the nation.