PRESIDENT HONOURED A TEACHER FOR HANDICRAFTS

PRESIDENT HONOURED A TEACHER FOR HANDICRAFTS

14-DEC-ENG 18

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------Pintu Prasad, a fine arts teacher at Kasturba Plus Two High School in Bihiya town of Bhojpur district, has once again brought pride to the entire state of Bihar. He was honored by the President for his outstanding contribution to handicrafts (terracotta) at a national awards ceremony held in Delhi on Monday. ​​Following this historic achievement, a wave of joy has spread across Bihiya, Bhojpur, and the entire state of Bihar. Local citizens and the teaching community have described his achievement as "the glorious identity of Bihiya."

Pintu Prasad has been contributing to the preservation, promotion, and innovation of terracotta art for a long time. He has been working as a fine arts teacher at Kasturba Plus Two High School, Bihiya, since July 21, 2016. Since joining the school, he has established his identity on state, national, and international platforms through his creativity and unique style of traditional art.

Pintu Prasad, a resident of Barki Nainijor in Buxar district and a simple and soft-spoken person by nature, is the son of Jawahar Prasad. He has been continuously working in terracotta craft for more than 21 years. By giving a modern and attractive form to traditional clay art, he has given a new direction to the art tradition of Bihar. He has also trained more than 120 budding artists, thus playing a significant role in passing on the art to the new generation.

He has participated in numerous national and international art exhibitions, where his works have received widespread acclaim. Given his talented contributions, he has received several major awards before this. Among them, the National Merit Certificate of 2018, the State Award of 2015, and the A-1 Face New Delhi Award of 2009 are particularly noteworthy.

Terracotta craft is considered a symbol of the early artistic traditions of human civilization. In Bihar, this art has been a part of the living cultural heritage since ancient times. The innovation and uniqueness that Pintu Prasad has brought to this art form, which depicts the aspirations and expressions of rural life, is being widely appreciated across the state.

Teachers and local residents have congratulated him on this remarkable achievement. Among those who offered their congratulations were Rajiv Ranjan Rajak alias Mahesh Kumar, Sudama Gond, Ramkumar Singh, Nand Bihari Singh, Rajesh Singh, Pawan Mishra, Arun Kumar Rai, Uttam Jaiswal, Antim Singh, Kumari Damayanti Rai, Jitendra Bhagat, Jaymangal Yadav, Shriram Singh, and Srinivas Yadav, along with a large number of others. They all said that teacher Pintu Prasad has given Bihiya a national identity, which will serve as an inspiration for future generations.