Odisha's CM Naveen Patnaik presenting the Pattachitra to Pope Francis at Vatican City State; img credited to TOI
Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik met the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, Pope Francis on Wednesday. He was accompanied by his private secretary VK Pandian to the meeting on the third day of his trip to Italy.
The occasion led him to become the first chief minister of an Indian state to meet Pope Francis in Vatican. This meeting was his second in past 22 years.
Within the few minutes of meeting, Naveen expressed his pleasure meeting His Holiness and thanked him for his warm audience. The chief minister also wished him good health and a long life.
“It has been an absolute pleasure meeting His Holiness Pope Francis (@Pontifex) in Vatican City. Thanked him for the warm audience and wished him good health and a long life,” tweeted Naveen.
On behalf of the people of Odisha, the chief minister presented a ‘Patachitra’ painting to the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, and sought his blessings, an official statement issued by his office in Bhubaneswar said.
By presenting the Pattachitra, a popular art form of Odisha, Naveen also showcased Odisha’s rich craftsmanship and artistry in Vatican. 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 craftsman of Odisha, said an official statement.
The meeting with head of the Catholic Church also raised Naveen’s political stature and grabbed international eyeballs.Stating that it was an honour to meet the head of Catholic Church, the longest serving chief minister of the state said that there are millions of Roman Catholics in India.
Naveen is now on a 10 day foreign trip to Rome and Dubai. He is visiting Rome at the invitation of World Food Program and would share the transformative initiative of Odisha in the field of food security and disaster management.
