BY- ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Bhubaneswar: A breathtaking 17ft by 26ft artwork, titled ‘Utkal,’ by celebrated artist Guruvinayak Singh Budhwar, was recently unveiled at the opulent Rambha Palace, nestled serenely on the banks of Chilika Lake, in Ganjam.
The unveiling marked a momentous celebration of Odisha’s vibrant and layered heritage through the lens of contemporary artistry.
Commissioned exclusively for Rambha Palace under Hunch Ventures’ cultural initiative ‘Where Art Meets Purpose,’ the mural offers a sweeping visual odyssey spanning over 5,000 years of Odisha’s history.
From the Kalinga kingdom described in the legendary Indian text Mahabharata, to the stories of the Lord Jagannath and Konark Sun Temple, echoes of the Kalinga War and the spread of Buddhism under Emperor Ashoka, to the fervor of the Paika Rebellion, the imprint of the Mughal Empire, and the British Raj— the mural stands as a living chronicle of the land’s past.
“It took one and a half years—13 hours every single day—to complete this piece,” said 23-year-old Budhwar, a self-taught artist and polyglot who speaks multiple languages, including Spanish, Japanese, and Latin. “The research phase was incredibly eye-opening.
I collaborated with an Odia historian based in the USA, and that journey transformed my perspective entirely,” added the artist.
Sharing the broader vision behind the initiative, Himangini Singh, co-founder of Hunch Ventures, said: “There is so much of Odisha that remains unexplored.
Our goal is to showcase the state in a grand, dignified way—and this palace, this art, are our first steps.” She continued, “The design and decor of the palace are deeply embedded in the essence of Odisha.
It’s a place where tradition breathes and heritage is felt.” Rambha Palace reopened its doors in 2024 after a painstaking six-year restoration, helmed by world-renowned Sri Lankan architect Channa Daswatte, protégé and friend of the legendary Geoffrey Bawa.
Originally commissioned in 1791 by British Governor Thomas Snodgrass, the palace had long lain dormant before being lovingly revived by Hunch Ventures.
