Artist in residence: Paresh Maity spellbound by Rashtrapati Bhavan

It’s the time to talk of Presidents. And for a person with an aesthetic bent of mind, our very own Rashtrapati Bhavan is a treasure trove. Artist Paresh Maity only recently experienced that. The Padma Shree awardee and his wife were the ‘artists in residence’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan, for two weeks.

Speaking about his time at the second largest presidential palace in the world, Maity said he was spellbound by a red sandstone fountain in the south courtyard and was unlike anything he had seen. “There are two pillars on top of which two cobras stand, with water pouring out of their mouth. I have never seen such a unique fountain in my life. It’s very beautifully done, just like Lutyen’s many other marvellous architectural pieces,” Maity said.