Upendra Maharathi

Upendra Maharathi was an Indian artist who worked in various mediums including painting, sculpture, illustration, architecture, graphic design, and textile design. He was born in the village of Narendrapur in Odisha and received his art education at the Government College of Art & Craft in Kolkata under Mukul Dey and Percy Brown. After completing his studies, he settled in Bihar.

Life and career Born in 1908 in Narendrapur, a small village in Odisha, Upendra joined the Government College of Art and Craft in 1925. He was exposed to a variety of Western and indigenous techniques of art, craft and architecture at the school. His artistic style was shaped by the nationalist movement in Bengal, which supported Swadeshi values and recognized the resistive, anti-colonial potential of art. Led by E. B. Havell and Abanindranath Tagore, the movement encouraged students to revive traditional forms of Indian art. His art was also influenced by Gandhi's non-violent politics.

In 1940, he designed the Ramgarh Congress Nagar Complex, for this purpose in 1956, which was later the state government renamed it the Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusandhan Sansthan in his honor after his death. He was awarded the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian honours by the Government of India in 1969 for his contributions to revitalizing traditional and native arts and handlooms. He died in 1981.