Bhubaneswar: Recently, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had a successful visit to Italy and during his tour he had also visited the various historical places of significance in the Italian capital. During one such visit to a place having historical connections with the Renaissance, an Art Historical Guide was engaged to escort the Chief Minister and explain him the significance. But to his surprise, the Chief Minister just got the guide guided with his detailed knowledge of the ancient history of Rome. The guide just got floored with the Chief Minister’s knowledge about European history.
This incident, which occurred during the Chief Minister’s visit to Rome, was posted on Instagram by none other than V K Pandian, the Chief Minister’s Secretary, who had accompanied him during the tour. In the small clip shared by V K Pandian, the distinguished historical guide can be seen praising the Chief Minister for his detailed knowledge about the ancient history of Rome and the Great Renaissance.
In the video clip, the guide says, “I am an historian, and I work as a guide for clients in Rome, and it has been an honour for me to take your minister around…he is an incredibly educated man. The level of understanding and knowledge he has of ancient Rome and Renaissance culture is astounding. I don’t think I have ever encountered it in a client !
In his Instagram post, V K Pandian, says … Study the past if you want to define the future because there are a great many tales history can tell…Leaving many historians spellbound with his vast knowledge of the subject…
Though Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is seen as one of the most outstanding political leaders the country has today, the other side of his life …his love for culture and history can never be ignored. He is a prolific writer with deep insights into ancient cultural heritage. The most part of the Chief Minister’s youth was associated with the Who’s Who of the world of art and culture from across the world. He is also one of the founding members of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.
Some of the books written by Naveen include A Second Paradise: Indian Courtly Life 1590–1947 (1985), A Desert Kingdom: The Rajputs of Bikaner (1990), and The Garden of Life: An Introduction to the Healing Plants of India (1993).