Sixty Art and Design students of West Suffolk College in United Kingdom have been reportedly producing innovative artwork based on Hindu festival of Mahashivaratri (Great night of Shiva). It included portraits, complex shadow puppet animation with digital technology, a film and life-size three-dimensional sculptures of Lord Shiva. This project also explored the link between Hindu philosophy and modern science, resulting in some “particularly powerful images". Applauding West Suffolk College for producing Hinduism focused artwork, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth. Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged major art and design institutions of the world to frequently produce Hinduism focused artwork and organize Hindu art focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world. Most major museums of the world carry statues and other artifacts of Lord Shiva, one of the divine trio of the Hindus—Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. Mahashivaratri falls on March 10 this year. West Suffolk College in Bury St. Edmunds (Suffolk, England), whose history goes back to 1951, with about 19,000 students and turnover of £27 million, delivers 856 courses and uses over a hundred different venues around the county to deliver its programs. Richard Carter and Robert Millea are Chairman and Vice Chairman of Governors, while Dr. Ann Williams and David Howells are Principal and Deputy Principal respectively. BN
