Om Prakash Jain (born 1929) is an Indian art collector, patron and philanthropist. He is the Founder-President of the Sanskriti Pratishthan (Sankriti Foundation), established in 1979, which runs the Sanskriti Kendra Museums at Anandagram, Delhi.[1]

Rajendra Mullick
Born1929
Old Delhi, India
NationalityIndian
Occupation(s)Art collector, patron and philanthropist
AwardsPadma Shri in 2013

He has remained the convenor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for 15 years.[2] He has been a promoter of Neemrana Fort Palace Hotels.

Biography

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Jain was born and brought up in a business family in Old Delhi, where his family has an office at Chawri Bazar. Without much formal education, he joined the family paper-trading business at an early age. It was a chance meeting with writer Mulk Raj Anand, in the 1970s, that inspired him to work for art and cultural heritage conservation.[2][3][4]

He spent many years collecting everyday functional objects, like kitchen and household items, made by artisans. In 1984, he set up a small museum with his private collection at the basement of his Kinari Bazaar house in Chandni Chowk area. 10 years later, the collection shifted to the Sanskriti Museum of Everyday Art, at Anandagram – an artist village, he established on the outskirts of Delhi.[3]

Subsequently, the Museum of Terracotta Art and Textile were also established.[5][6]

Honours

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He was awarded the Padma Shri by Government of India, in 2003, for his contribution to the Arts.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Sustainable Sanskriti". The Indian Express. 23 May 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  2. ^ a b "OP Jain – The Pragmatic Philanthropist". Vol. 10, no. 7. Tehelka. 16 February 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  3. ^ a b Baishali Adak (22 May 2013). "Extraordinary collection of everyday art". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  4. ^ "Czar of culture". The Tribune. 5 November 2000. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  5. ^ WHAT'S DOING IN; Delhi Travel, New York Times, 30 November 2003, pg. 2.
  6. ^ "Business Backs Art". The Financial Express. 26 January 2003. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  7. ^ "Padma Awards Directory (1954–2009)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2013.
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