Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik presented a Pattachitra painting, which depicts the ‘Tree of Life’, to Pope Francis, the Pope of Rome and Head of Catholic Church, during their meeting in Vatican City on Wednesday. He was accompanied by 5T Secretary VK Pandian.
Pattachitra is a unique ancient traditional, cloth-based scroll painting from Odisha. This art form is known for its intricate detail, natural colours and mythological themes. It shows the unique expertise of the skilled craftspersons of Odisha.
The CM said that it was an absolute pleasure meeting His Holiness Pope Francis. He thanked him for the warm audience and wished him good health and long life.
With this, Naveen has become India’s first head of a provincial government to meet the Pope, a privilege denied to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last year. The meeting is expected to grab international eyeballs and push the five-time CM’s political stature by a few notches higher.
Also Read: First Indian CM To Meet Pope In Vatican: Naveen Patnaik Set To Achieve What Mamata Couldn’t
Many priests and sisters from India, who were at the Vatican, were also happy to see Naveen and wished him well.
The CM is currently on a 10-day foreign trip to Rome and Dubai, his second as chief minister of Odisha in 22 years. He is visiting Rome at the invitation of World Food Program (WFP) and would share the transformative initiatives of Odisha in the field of food security and disaster management.
