Pahari miniature painting Alternative Title: Hill painting. Pahari painting, style of miniature painting and book illustration that developed in the independent states of the Himalayan foothills in India. The style is made up of two markedly contrasting schools, the bold intense Basohli and the delicate and lyrical Kangra.

1. PAHARI MINIATURE PAINTING
Srikanta Goswami

2. Territorial division
Hill states of Punjab Jammu
In an around five
tributaries of Indus

3. Factors contributing Pahari miniature painting
Pahari Miniature
Gujarat Miniature
painting
Mughal style of
Aurangzeb’s time
Rajasthan style of first
half of 17th Century
Local folk art of Himalayan
states

4. Developed during middle of 18th Century
Places
• Chamba
• Nurpur
• Basholi
• Guler
• Kangra
• Mandi
• Kulu
• Garwal & so

5. Origin and
Development
Aurangzeb’s prohibition
on art
First half of 17th century
Artists fled to small hilly states of
chamba, Kulu, kangra and so Pahari style born in 18th
Century
Existance of local folk art in the
himalayan states
Mughal panting/Rajput
painting + local folk art
=
Pahari Miniature
First known specimen Basholi
1650 already stylistically mature
Patronage by the kingsTopic choosn by the
artists
Depiction of beautiful
natural beauty
1739 fall of Delhi
Artists fled to hills
Further development of the paintings
India’s last vital
Hindu art
Before effect of
western civilisation

6. PAHARI MINIATURE
PAINTING
Basholi School
Kangra School
Guler school
Chamba school
Garhwal school

7. Basholi School
Small state in Jammu
and Kashmir
Cradle of Pahari
painting
Emerged in late 17th
century Deeply religious folk art tradition
+
Mughal painting realism
=
Basholi style painting
1635-73
Raja Sangram Pal
Turn from Shaivism to
Vaishnavism
So in painting hero
krishna and heroine
Parvati to Heroine
Radha
“Rasamanjari” of
Bhanudatta a secular work
of love of Radha and
Krishna
Almost all paintings
are based on Hindu
religion
Vivid illustration of 10
incarnation of Vishnu
Topics:
Ramayana, mahabhrata, Nayak-
nayika Bheda, Geet-govind,
Rasikpriya, Behari-satsai,
Bhagavat puran

8. Features of Basholi
school
Strong brilliant colours
(bright red, yellow, green)
Fish shaped elongated
eyes
Large expressive
lotus like eye Round chin
Prominent nose
Oval faces
Receding foreheads
Powerful body
Idealistic body
symmetry
Clarity of design
Wonderful effects by:
Blue + yellow
Red + blue
Grey + brown
Droplet of thick
white paint give
the effect of
pearl
Flat use of bold intense
colour
No perspective

9. KRISHNA WITH GOPIS
WATER COLOUR AND TEMPERA ON HANDMADE PAPER
ARTIST: MANAKU
SCHOOL: BASHOLI
Based on jaydeva’s ‘Geet-
Govind’
Painted for private patron
Malini
Krishna surrounded by
Gopis in the bank of
river of Yamuna
Presence of
geometrical pattern
Presence of bold colour Krishna wearing
bright yellow dress
Upper body
naked but
ornamented
Krishna wearing crown
with with jewels and
peacock plumes
No perspective
Clarity of design
and lines
Colours like golden
yellow, vermilion and
cool colours like blue,
green enhance the
feelings and intensity of
the painting
Small shrub in the
front
Dense vegetation
in the back ground
Presence of rhythm
and movement
Idealistic body
Human features like
previous slide
Rich costumes and
ornaments

10. Kangra School
With the downfall of
Guler the artists fled to
Kangra
Greatness of Raja Sansar
Chand attract them
Artists master the
planning before the
subject matter painted
Topics:
Bhagavat puran, Geet-
Govind, Behari Satsai,
Rasikpriya, Kabipriya, Nala
Damayanti
After Sansar Chand
Kangra painting saw
fall down
High position in Rajput
Miniature
Contemporary
lifestyle of common
peopleSerial depiction of single
character
Presence of romantic
mood
Day and night representation
through sun and moon
Paintings has charm,
polish and soft texture
Profuse representation
of Radha-Krishna

11. Features of Kangra
school
High status amongst
Rajput miniature
Maturity, fine sense of
beauty, poetic sensibility
Rhythmic lines Soft mellow colour
combination
Different shades of
Primary colours
Serial depiction of single
character in different
postures engaged in
different activities
Female represents Ideal
beauty
Female represented through
soft, refined and rhythmic
curved lines
Innocent sensuality
Depiction of flowers,
plants, creepers and trees
Representation of birds
and animals
Low rounded hills top
molded with green
characteristics of Kangra
school
Brush stokes reveal
their deftness and
spontaneity

12. BHARATA WORSHIPING CHARAN PADUKA OF RAMA
WATER COLOUR AND TEMPERA ON HANDMADE PAPER
ARTIST: UNKNOWN
SCHOOL: GULER
Very emotional moment of
Ramayan
Bharat meets Rama at
chitrakoot and tries to
persuade but Rama
declines
Then Bharat beg and bring
the Paduka of Rama and tell
rama that he will rule the
kingdom as Rama’s custodian
Bharat substitute Rama
by his Charan padukas
Paduka placed on
ornamental pulpit
Supported by
yellow pillow
Bharat is fly whiskering
and worshiping the
paduka
A courtier holding
fringed umbrella
standing behind the
pulpit
The event is
happening inside a
rectangular tent
White square
canopy above the
pulpit
Courtiers showing
respect some
standing with sword
Musicians playing
various musical
instruments
Back ground depicts hills and
village scene with daily
activities
White palace on
height
Blue sky, trees, and
hills reminds one of
Mughal miniature

13. COSMIC DANCE OF SHIVA
WATER COLOUR AND TEMPERA ON HANDMADE PAPER
ARTIST: UNKNOWN
SCHOOL: CHAMBA
Shiva is centrally
composed He have Scattered
and brownish hair
Serene eye
Crescent beautifully
embellished on his
head
He is wearing tiger-skin
A snake dangling
from his neck in
swinging motion
Other deities are
observing the dance
Left hand side
Parvati in red
Ghagra and pink
odhni
She is playing dish bell
Ganesha playing Veena
Six headed Kartik
playing kettle-drum
Ox nandi and others
representing the
world of animals
and human are
observing the
dance
Right Banasura playing
Tambourine mridanga
Other followers and
devotees of Shiva re
accompanying with
various musical
instruments
Curve background
in dark blue suggest
the universe

14. NAND, YASHODA AND KRISHNA WITH KINSMEN GOING TO VRINDAVAN
WATER COLOUR AND TEMPERA ON HANDMADE PAPER
ARTIST: NAINSUKH
SCHOOL: KANGRA
Based on Bhagavat
puran
Krishna with Nand, Yashoda,
Balram, relatives and villagers
migrating from Gokul to
Vrindaban
They are standing on the
grassy land on the bank
of Yamuna
Three male figures
are swiming
In the centre Krishna is
pointing towards
golden Vrindavan
through right hand
The heavenly golden
city peering from the
white, grey clouds
Balaram is also
pointing towards
Vrindavan through
left hand
Krishna is a
handsome youth
Wearing Pitambar,
White garland flower
on neck
Both Krishna and
Balaram wearing
golden tiara
Krishna’s tiara
has peacock
plumes
Upper body part
bare
Balaram wearing
blue dhoti
Uttariya on his
upper body
Both Krishna and
Balaram wearing
different gold
ornaments
Other figures wearing
stripped shorts and head
covered with different
colour clothes
Right side twisted tree,
twirling creeper, foliage
in varied hues of green
Blue water of Yamuna
laced with white foam
Landscape, water
and sky add
indescribable
aesthetic charm

15. RADHA & KRISHNA LOOKING INTO A MIRROR
WATER COLOUR AND TEMPERA ON HANDMADE PAPER
ARTIST: UNKNOWN
SCHOOL: GARWAL
Krishna and radha sitting
together
They are sitting on an
Orderly arranged floral
decorated Dias
Krishna holding mirror in
right hand
Attentively looking
into the images of
each other in mirror
Two well dressed female
attendant sitting on the
fore ground
Krishna wearing
tiara
Long white garland
flower
Yellow dhoti
Upper part semi
clothed
Radha wearing
traditional Ghagra
Choli
Red pillows
supporting them
Interior of the terrace
decorated in white
and yellow
Stylised depiction of
foliage with flowering
plants
Hill-top bathed in
sunrays
Lake with water birds and
lotus
Romantic atmosphere
Lavish usage of gold
Dark sky with tuft of
white, grey wooly clouds
in circular pattern
Fountain in the
foreground
Architecture
resembles Mughal
architecture

16. Thank you