Silpa Rekha of Sri Seela Veerraju

Silparekha

Sri Seela Veerraju is a veteran painter, illustrater, poet, writer and many more things in one.

More than all this, he is a perfect gentleman and an excellent friend.

I cannot forget his writing my Wedding Card and also getting it printed.

The card is the first insertion in our marriage photo album.

I am one of the many who enjoy his love and affection even today.

I am trying to introduce one of his works “Silpa Rekha” a book of sketches of the sacred place Lepakshi.

Sri Veerraju was commissioned to write an article on Lepakshi and Tadipatri etc., along with Sri Gopala Sastry an officer of the state government. There was another photographer and an artist to assist them when they visited the places. Veerraju says, he could not see the God in the temple being engrossed in the work of artisans who painted and sculpted God’s forms. He made his own sketches and here is the book. He made sketches of only the big sculptures and not of any paintings there.

There are more than 45 sketches in the book starting with the famous Lepakshi Basavanna or the Bull. All of them are wonderful by any standards. Any person with a little of art in his mind will appreciate the beauty in the lines.

These sketches were exhibited at many places including Germany. A German news paper while reviewing the show wrote that one can see the dance of Gods and man both in Heaven and on the Earth. There is a lot to this sentence, according to me.

Septuagenarian Sree Veerraju is still actively pursuing the art and is a source of inspiration to many like me. There is no poet, famous or fledgling, who does not aspire for a cover page by Veerraju for their collection. This gentleman never lets anyone down. His cover art works must have exceeded a few thousands in numbers.

He himself has written many novels, short stories. He and his wife Srimathy Subhadra are celebrated poets. I remember a book of Veerraju which was hand bound in beautiful cloth by the writer himself.Not one copy, but all of them!!

A second edition of the book Silparekha, was brought out in 2006.

An English edition is due in the near future.

I really do not know if copies are still available.

You may try your luck.

Write to

Sri Seela Veerraju

2/c Brahmananda Nagar

Malakpet

Hyderabad – 500 036