Question

essay on the origin and development of pahari and bengal schools

Answer 1

Origin and Development

The Pahari School of miniature painting originated in hill state of Basohli situated on

the bank of the river Ravi about 1690 A.D. Later, Guler, Chamba, Mandi, Kangra,

Garhwal and Kullu became its main centres. Besides these, Jammu, Srinagar, Nurpur,

Mankot, Nalagarh (Hindoor) and the plains of Punjab became its sub-centres.

Besides stylistic vividness, the Himalayan environment, round faces, half-moon-

shaped forehead, normal sized deep eyes and normal statured men-women replete this

world of miniature paintings and provide them Pahari speciality. The art of Pahari

school has the following sub-schools of miniature paintings:

1. Basohli Sub-school of Miniature Painting. This style came into existence when Mughal

emperor Aurangzeb had restricted all the forms of art in his court. In the middle of 17th

century, the court painters/artists moved towards the hilly states. They implemented

technical co-ordination ofvarious elements of the Mughal style into the art forms

previously existed there. The new form of art that came into existence was called Sub-

school of Basohli Miniature Painting. Although these artists were subservient to their

patrons, yet they were fully independent in selecting the subject matter. In their new

paintings, they included only the specific elements of the Mughal style.

Topics of the Painting: The painters started making paintings on abstract themes of the

literary volumes such as Ras-Manjari, the Ramayana, Geet Govinda and Raagmala.

Characteristics: The paintings of this style are almost square in shape. Double storied

or high-towered buildings have been shown in the background of these paintings.

Hilly environment, river, waterfall, clouds, lotus and other flowers have been used as

ornamental elements in the paintings.

'20 Guler Sub-school of Miniature Painting. Guler is famous for both types of the paintings—

individual and subjective. It wonderfully inaugurated the mysteriousness and the beauty of

women. The emotional disposition of Guler's paintings is not seen even in paintings of the Mughal state