Krishnalal Bhatt

During the early revolutionary struggles in India, some gymnasiums (akhadas) were set up with an intention to prepare the youth for fighting for the freedom for their motherland. In one such gymnasium set up by A.B. Purani, one of the foremost disciples of Sri Aurobindo, there was a young man named Krishnalal Bhatt. Born on 1 July 1905 in Gujarat, Krishnalal was a young enthusiastic boy who joined the gymnasium (akhada) with all the vigour to do something for his country. However, during his training in the gym, he discovered various facets of his personality; art was one of them. He later went on to study and teach art formally; his education included studying art at Shantiniketan under the renowned artist, Nandalal Bose. After a few years of learning and teaching art, he once again crossed paths with A.B. Purani, who was by that time (1933) living in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry. Purani invited Krishnalal to visit him. Little did he know that one casual visit to the Ashram would change the course of his life. During his visit to the Ashram, Krishnalal had the darshan of The Mother, an experience which he described as the vision of a goddess, and that when The Mother smiled and threw a flower to him, he knew that a contact had been established between them. The freedom in the atmosphere of the ashram was something the artist in him found extremely fulfilling and the fact that a lot of importance was given to beauty and art in the ashram made him connect instantly and decide to stay longer. During his early years at the ashram, he often found himself in conflict with the worldly duties he had left behind, but he received constant reassurance from The Mother, who told him that the Ashram was the place for him. The Mother’s reassurance helped him overcome the initial inhibitions, and he completely immersed himself in his work at the Ashram. The Mother always gave him specific tasks that kept him occupied and trained his mind to be concentrated on one thing at a time, specially the piece of art he would be working on.

Krishnalal was the chosen instrument to bring in beauty into the spiritual community of the ashram. He went on to paint almost everywhere in the ashram: the reception room, the panel that separated Sri Aurobindo’s and The Mother’s rooms, the panels in The Mother’s room, and many other places. Once The Mother asked him to paint a desk calendar for Sri Aurobindo, for which Krishnalal chose the theme of cats. He painted them in different positions and with different expressions, in groups or alone. He also had some correspondence with Sri Aurobindo, and Sri Aurobindo appreciated his work. He also taught art to the senior students at the Ashram school. He would deeply engage himself in painting curtains with different landscapes for the ashram theatre performances. Krishnalal was of the opinion that one must train the eyes to observe, before one can train the hand to hold the brush, and his paintings were nothing short of being a proof of his opinion. From painting landscapes on small cards to painting on bedsheets and handmade paper, his work reflected his spiritual journey.

His last major work which took him more than 3 years to complete was the Golconde mural. He painted a scene so alive and reflective, in which the whole world was coming to the Mother and asking to be blessed. When in 1960, the ashram gallery was established, he was made its in-charge, where he served until he left his body on 5 January 1990. His life is a true example of someone whose outer expression was the manifestation of his inner experience; he lived a life totally dedicated to the service of The Master and The Mother. He brought beauty to the ashram community, which continues to inspire everyone.