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By:

Vinod Chavan

30 September 2025 at 3:04:23 pm

Retired lecturer creates intricate sculptures by hand

Latur: At the age of 71, retired chemistry lecturer Dr. Shobha Parshuram Arya continues to transform her passion for art into intricate sculptures and paintings, creating masterpieces without the help of machinery or specialised equipment. A former lecturer at the Government Women’s Polytechnic, Latur, Dr. Arya has devoted her post-retirement years to sculpture and painting. Working only with her hands, she carves stones into artistic creations that depict emotions, devotion and human...

Retired lecturer creates intricate sculptures by hand

Latur: At the age of 71, retired chemistry lecturer Dr. Shobha Parshuram Arya continues to transform her passion for art into intricate sculptures and paintings, creating masterpieces without the help of machinery or specialised equipment. A former lecturer at the Government Women’s Polytechnic, Latur, Dr. Arya has devoted her post-retirement years to sculpture and painting. Working only with her hands, she carves stones into artistic creations that depict emotions, devotion and human expressions. Her sculptures mainly feature themes such as Radha-Krishna and emotional, rather than portraits of renowned personalities or historical figures. The stones used for her sculptures are brought from Rajasthan, including Vietnam marble and other varieties of marble. The process demands immense physical effort, patience and precision. A two-foot sculpture takes nearly three months to complete, while larger works may require one-and-a-half to two years of continuous dedication, she informed. Despite the uniqueness of her artwork, Dr. Arya faces difficulties in finding a market for her sculptures. She says there is limited demand for such expensive artworks in the region. Organising exhibitions is also a challenge as the sculptures are heavy and require manpower for transportation and display. Living alone further restricts her ability to showcase her creations on a larger platform. Dr. Arya’s journey as an artist began during her school days. While studying at Godavaridevi Lahoti Kanya Vidyalaya, she created a Saraswati rangoli for an exhibition in Rajasthan and won first prize. Later, as a Class XI student at Shahu College, she made a rangoli depicting the famous Padmapani painting. However, she said that at that stage she did not know how to systematically nurture her artistic talent. Her interest in sculpture developed after observing her father’s paintings. Inspired by his creativity, she began making idols using POP (plaster of Paris). In 1990, she created an idol of Michelangelo, which further strengthened her passion for sculpture. Tribute to Father Dr. Arya uses her father’s name, Parshuram, as part of her identity as a tribute to the man who shaped her artistic vision. “My father was a renowned photographer and painter. Whatever I have achieved today is because of the artistic environment he created. I have only carried forward his legacy,” she said. She recalled her childhood days at Latur’s well-known Shobha Photo Studio, which was once among the city’s prominent photography studios. Several noted artists, including Vasantrao Baraskar, Gangadhar Baraskar and Ware Guruji, used to visit the studio, and she closely observed their paintings and creative work. “As a child, I repeatedly requested my father to teach me painting. He would simply say, ‘Keep watching. You will learn on your own.’ I did not understand those words then, but today I realise that observation is the first school of every artist,” she said. Dr. Arya said artistic inspiration develops gradually through life experiences and finds expression at the right moment. Recalling the creation of her acclaimed Radha-Krishna sculpture, she said the work took nearly 21 months to complete. “I wanted to portray not just two divine figures, but the spiritual intensity and emotional bond between Radha and Krishna. Their relationship represents pure devotion and eternal love,” she said. The sculpture depicts Radha moving towards Krishna as he plays the flute, with intricate details such as her lifted heel, flowing attire and wind-swept hair capturing movement and emotion. “I do not feel that I alone created this sculpture. Giving life-like emotions to stone is an extremely difficult task. I believe some divine force guided my hands throughout the process,” she said. Dr. Arya believes that art should ultimately contribute to society. She expressed her desire to use the earnings from the sale of her sculptures and paintings to support underprivileged students.

US Vice President JD Vance, his family arrive in Delhi

  • PTI
  • Apr 21, 2025
  • 2 min read


NEW DELHI: US Vice President J D Vance arrived here on Monday on a four-day visit to India against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement between the two strategic partners to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance is accompanied by his Indian-origin wife Usha Chilukuri and their three children Ewan, Vivek, Mirabel and a delegation of senior US government officials.


The US Vice President and the Second Lady were received at the Palam air base by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.


The American leader was also accorded a ceremonial welcome on his arrival.

In the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for the Vances after holding wide-ranging talks with the US Vice President.


External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Indian ambassador to US Vinay Mohan Kwatra are expected to be part of the Indian team to be led by PM Modi at the talks.


The focus of the meeting is likely to be on early finalisation of the proposed bilateral trade pact as well as ways to boost overall trajectory of ties between the two countries.


Besides Delhi, Vance and his family will travel to Jaipur and Agra.

Vance's first visit to India comes weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed and then paused a sweeping tariff regime against around 60 countries, including India.


New Delhi and Washington are now holding negotiations to seal a bilateral trade agreement that is expected to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance and his family are scheduled to leave for Jaipur on Monday night.

In Delhi, the US Vice President and his family are staying at the ITC Maurya Sheraton hotel.


On April 22, the Vances will visit a number of historical sites in Jaipur, including the Amer Fort, also known as Amber Fort. The fort is a UNESCO world heritage site.


In the afternoon, the US Vice President is scheduled to address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur.


Vance is expected to delved into broader aspects of India-US relations under the Donald Trump administration during his speech that is expected to be attended by diplomats, foreign policy experts, Indian government officials and academia.


The US Vice President and his family will travel to Agra on the morning of April 23, people familiar with the matter said.


In Agra, they will visit the Taj Mahal and Shilpgram which is an open air emporium showcasing various Indian artefacts, they said.


After concluding their visit to Agra, the Vances will return to Jaipur on the second half of April 23.


The US Vice President and his family will depart for the US from Jaipur on April 24, according to the people cited above.

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