Kalidas statue to be installed in Ujjain

Ujjain, Sep 26 (UNI) The statue of legendary poet Kalidas will be installed in this ancient temple town.

Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Laxmikant Sharma, who presided over the Kalidas festival organising committee meeting here yesterday, appealed to the people to finalise a picture of the poet so that the Culture department would take initiative for installing the statue.

It was also proposed to instal the statues of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and noted poet Shrikrishna Saral in the town, he told reporters.

Mr Sharma said the state government would present 20 national and state-level awards in the field of art and culture this year.

This include two new awards in the name of noted archaeologist Dr Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar and freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad.

A Rs 1 crore memorial of Azad is being built at Bhabra in Jhabua district during his birth centenary this year, he said.

Mr Sharma said two new universities -Sanskrit university at Ujjain and music university at Gwalior- were proposed to be set up in the state.

Actor-dancer Hemamalini will present dance drama here on November 2 during the Kalidas festival scheduled from November 1 to 7. Sanskrit drama 'Malavikagnimitram' penned by Kavalam Narayana Panikkar(Thiruvananthapuram) will also be staged along with the performances of Bharatnatyam dancer Rukmani Vijayrao(Bangalore) and Tabala player Pandit Kishan Maharaj(Kashi).

UNI XC-SP 1517