Poignant leaving gift to Professor Jariwala from his Upper Limb Trainee

The oil-on-canvas is a painting of Professor Jariwala’s hometown of Varanasi (also known as Banaras) and depicts the ‘Ghats of Banaras’ situated on the banks of the holy river Ganges. 

Ghats are riverfront steps that lead to the banks of the sacred river. The city has 84 ghats, mostly used for bathing and puja ceremonies with two ghats used exclusively as cremation sites. The north Indian city of Varanasi is regarded as sacred by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Situated in the fertile Ganga valley, Varanasi is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus, who come to bathe in the holy river. Known as the City of Temples and a beacon of culture, Varanasi is regarded as one of the oldest continually populated cities in the world and has produced many renowned writers.

Professor Jariwala commented: 

“I was thrilled to receive such a wonderful and thoughtful gift from a marvellously talented artist - and Orthopaedic Surgeon! Alastair has captured the atmosphere of my hometown perfectly and my house is not very far from the ghats so even more sentimental value the painting has. The beautiful painting now proudly sits in my university office, and I enjoy exploring it every day. It has been a joy having Alastair as my Trainee for the last six-months and I wish him all the best in his bright future career as an Upper Limb Surgeon. Also, I am sure he is having a great time travelling after eight-gruelling-years of orthopaedic training. I wish him safe travels.”

Alastair Faulkner commented: 

“I had a brilliant time working for Prof. Jariwala for the last 6 months of my training! He was a wonderful mentor and trainer, and I learnt a great deal in my relatively short time working with him. As a token of my appreciation for his efforts in making this an excellent and educational rotation for me I decided to paint a scene from his hometown of Varanasi as a thank you. I have never had the pleasure of visiting the area, but I was familiar with the religious and personal significance of the city. I painted the scene from several source photos to try and capture the energy and vibrant character of this place with the hope that it would bring back nice memories. I wish Prof. Jariwala all the best and I have no doubt we will see each other again soon!”

You can view more of Alastair’s work, accolades and achievements at Alastair Faulkner Art.