Punjab: Established in 1975 as Rajeshwari Kala Sangam, APJ College of Fine Arts has evolved and sustained itself as a centre for promoting traditional Indian arts and culture in the northern region for the past 50 years. The college team has been the undisputed winner in youth festivals at the regional level for the past 23 consecutive years. The campus is abuzz with the Golden Jubilee celebrations starting in two days. A new must-see installation on the campus is the ‘Golden Legacy’, a tall, artistic masterpiece in golden colour that marks 50 years of the college. The sculpture placed at the entrance of the campus has been created by the college’s sculptor Basudev Biswas and his team. Biswas explains, “The core of the installation is a grand pillar, which symbolises the foundation on which the college was built. The pillar is adorned with beautifully arranged flowers, each petal of which represents the diverse talents, ideas and aspirations that have blossomed within the APJ family. At its top is an artistic representation of the universe, a swirling cosmos that signifies the limitless possibilities that lie ahead. It is not just a piece of art but a story of growth, resilience and challenges that the institution overcame to transform lives.”
According to history, the college was established by Dr. Satya Paul, the Founder Chairman of APJ Education, who was an eminent industrialist, educationist, philanthropist and freedom fighter. He passed away in 1991, after which his daughter Sushma Paul Berlia took over. Sushma is an industrialist and has also served as the President of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Apeejay Group now has 24 other institutions, including schools and colleges in Jalandhar, Haryana and Delhi, apart from Apeejay Satya University in Gurugram. Dr. Sucharita, who has been serving the college as a Fine Arts Lecturer since 1975, Principal for 25 years and is now the Director of Apeejay Education, recalls, “The college has seen an incredible journey of 50 years as a centre of education, artistic excellence and creativity. It has nurtured several generations of young professionals and artists. At the time the college was established, Jalandhar was known only as an industrial hub for sports. It completely lacked cultural vibrancy and had no dedicated space for arts. There was no space where talented artists could realise their dreams and aspirations. There were avenues for the main education streams, but there was no structured platform where young talent could grow, flourish and blossom. At such a juncture, Dr. Satya Paul wanted to provide the city with a unique haven of arts where all kinds of arts could be learned and practised.” The college soon became a centre of artistic excellence, with an experienced faculty of renowned ‘gharanadar’ artists whose expertise made them masters of their respective fields. Some of the famous alumni of the campus include comedian Kapil Sharma, singer and TV artist Sugandha Mishra, singer and musician Jasbir Jassi, standup comedian Balraj Syal, actor Karan Kundra and IAS officer Apneet Riyait. The college is known for organising festivals, exhibitions, workshops and performances to provide a perfect learning experience as well as preserve various art crafts and folk instruments that are on the verge of extinction. Dedicated efforts are being made to revive classical art forms. One of the major initiatives of the college is to collaborate with apex art bodies to provide a platform to artists from various fields. The college is also maintaining the Dr. Satya Paul Art Gallery at Virsa Vihar, which provides an affordable platform to emerging artists. It provides a platform to hold exhibitions not only to artists from Jalandhar but also to artists from across the state. Workshops, dance and music competitions, performances and a craft fair will be organised from April 2 to 5 to mark the completion of 50 glorious years of Rajeshwari Kala Mahotsav. The college authorities will also felicitate renowned folk singer Padmashree Malini Awasthi and visual artist Dr Prem Singh at the festival.
