Visitors check out photographs at the exhibition in Patna on Friday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Larger-than-life celebrations marking 100 years of the state are unfolding at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan. Contributing to the cultural grandeur and heritage are exhibitions put up by artists to depict Bihar’s mood.

Three of them stand out in the crowd of stalls — Dhruv Kumar, the sand artist from College of Arts and Crafts, Patna, Shailendra Kumar, a Patna-based art photographer, and Anjali Sinha, a New Delhi-based photographer. The trio are weaving magic through their works.

At his photo exhibition, Shailendra, an art photographer for 30 years, has showcased the rare and innovative moods and moments gleaned from the state’s religious practices and rituals. Sixty pieces of Shailendra’s work that are on display speak volumes about the socio-cultural fabric of the state.

Several visitors to Gandhi Maidan said Shailendra’s photographs were perfect gifts that any artist could dedicate to the state.

From the spiritual extravaganza of Chhath to the solemn mood of pinddaan (a ritual for the souls of ancestors), Shailendra has named his photographs “Parv”, “Yatra”, “Bhor” and “Granth” among others.

“The photographs seem so real. It is a pleasure to see how the photographer has captured the mundane, yet significant, moments that immortalise the true essence of our state,” said Rashmi, a visitor to Gandhi Maidan on Friday.

“I take inspiration from the historical and cultural heritage of any place and mythology,” said Shailendra. While some of his works convey Madhubani paintings as an intrinsic part of life of the residents in the eponymous region, some are even based on the underlying theme of the commercialisation of spiritual practices.

One of such works on display is a 28-year-old photograph of Chhath celebrations in Bihar, placed in sharp contrast to today’s celebrations. “The difference in the mood and simplicity of the performing the rituals is evident from the pictures,” the photographer added.

Anjali, who was born in Patna, is another crowd-puller with her acrylic paintings on the girl child and her various aspects in rural Bihar. The paintings are inspired from photographs taken by Anjali during her travels across Bihar. The paintings highlight social limitations the girl child is subjected to, while some are dedicated to girls in rural Bihar who choose to tread their own way.

“My paintings are an effort to capture the innocence of a girl child, who is ultimately crushed under the burden of social malpractices. It also portrays the various aspects of a girl’s persona,” Anjali said.

On Dhruv’s work, Avinash, a student, said: “The sand sculptures are created with great precision and display the merit of the artist. It is good to see that Bihar Divas has given a platform to such talents.”