26.05.2026 

“Wings of Colours.”  Painting exhibition by Dr. Neeta Shrivastava Bhatnagar 

An exhibition of paintings by the renowned Indian artist Nita Shrivastava Bhatnagar opened at the International Roerich Memorial Trust on May 26 of this year. At the artist’s request, the Chief Guest of the exhibition became Larisa Surgina, the Russian curator of the IRMT (Naggar) and an employee of the ICR (Moscow). She warmly welcomed Dr. Nita Shrivastava and her “support group”—her husband and friends, thanks to whom this exhibition was made possible. Since 2007, the artist has lived and worked in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), and it was her husband’s support and her ardent desire to visit the sacred Himalayan Kullu valley that encouraged her to embark on such a long journey.

Nita Shrivastava’s paintings have received widespread recognition at national and international art exhibitions. But, according to the artist, the exhibition in the Himalayan valley of Kullu, at the memorial estate of the great Russian artist Nicholas Roerich, will hold a special place in her heart.

In the “musical” paintings featured in the exhibition, Nita Shrivastava has captured Indian classical ragas and their emotional impact on the listener.  Ragas are combinations of different notes forming a specific sequence; they serve as a melodic foundation for improvisation. The Sanskrit word itself means “color” or “shade.” All musical compositions contain various ragas, creating a unique atmosphere and mood. And so the artist’s paintings—whether depictions of a loving mother and daughter, or Krishna and Radha dancing, or a girl releasing a bird from a cage—resonate like beautiful musical melodies, enchanting viewers with their beauty and tenderness.

At first glance, the paintings on display captivated visitors with their beauty and graceful lines, their subtle interplay of colors, and the harmonious simplicity of their composition. It was as if painting, poetry, and music had merged into one in the exhibition. As it turned out, this impression was no accident. Nita Shrivastava is not only a professional artist but also a musician—at Rajasthan University, she graduated at the top of her class in the “Instrumental Music—Sitar” program. With love and respect, Nita Shrivastava remembers her teachers: her wise parents, who inspired her to devote her life to music and painting; her brother, who introduced her to the world of literature; the legendary masters of the West and East, whose work had a profound influence on Nita’s worldview; and contemporary musicians and artists who generously shared their knowledge and skills with her.