India’s father Fred Mehta was a renowned artist and sculptor. But she was totally unaware that her father Fred had spent several months at the bank of River Ganges in Varanasi creating sculptors carving priceless pieces of art.
She posted about her father’s death on Facebook and sitting thousands of miles away Prof Madanlal Gupta of Banaras Hindu University, it was a shocker. He was taken aback by the death of Fred. Images of Fred visiting Varanasi and working there flashed before him. Prof Mehta was instrumental who helped Fred in arranging accommodation and place for him to work at peace. Fred lived there for several months and the result was numerous pieces of art.
Prof Gupta informed Fred’s daughter that there were 21 sculptors, some tools, and other things. For several years, Prof Gupta has kept them safe as a memory. But he realized that it belonged to Fred’s daughter.
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Prof Gupta contacted India Mehta and after four months, she reached Varanasi along with her sister Image Mehta. India could not describe the feelings and emotions after seeing the sculptors made by her father. Her eyes swelled also at the thought that one person has kept them in safe custody for so many years. Prof Gupta feels that only an artist can understand an artist so I did this.
India organized an exhibition of his father Fred Mehta’s work at Varanasi. “India is like my second home, I was named India so you can understand my father’s love for this country. I will surely try to inculcate these feelings in my children also,” says India Mehta.
Now she is planning to bring her father’s remembrances back to Australia.
