The Pahari Schools of Painting

Pahari refers to ‘hilly or mountainous’ in origin. Pahari Schools of Painting take the names of towns they originated from, such as Basohli, Guler, Kangra, Kullu, Chamba, Mankot, Nurpur, Mandi, Bilaspur and Jammu in the hills of Western Himalayas. It is notable that these schools of Pahari painting emerged as centres of painting from the seventeenth through the nineteenth century.

Origin of The Pahari Schools of Painting:

• There is not enough clarity on the emergence of the Pahari School of painting. However, scholars have proposed theories to address its beginning and influences
• B. N. Goswamy, one of the most revered scholars of the Pahari Schools of Painting, has attributed the shaping of the Pahari painting to the family of Pandit Seu (Shiv)

Basohli School of Pahari painting

• Basohli developed a distinctive and magnificent style during the reign of Kirpal Pal who ruled from 1678 to 1695
• This form of the Pahari school of painting is characterised by a strong use of primary colours along with warm yellows that have been used to fill the background
• There are several themes that prevailed amongst Basohli painters and Rasamanjari of Bhanu Datta was the most popular. Other popular themes of the Basohli school of Pahari painting include Bhagavata Purana and Ragamala, among others
• Bold lines and strong, glowing colours define the Basohli art form, however, how they represent the exuberance of emeralds is their most distinct feature. They utilised small, shiny green particles of beetle wings to create an effect of the emerald stone
• Artist Manaku in 1730 A.D. further strengthened the Basohli style of Pahari painting. His most famous work is a set of Gita Govinda that he painted in 1730 at Guler
• The celebrated epic Ramayana was one of the most favourite texts of the hill artists at Basohli
• Local variations of the Basohli Kalam came into existence as artists from the Basohli region gradually spread to other hilly areas such as Chamba and Kullu

Guler School of Pahari painting

• This School of Pahari painting flourished under the patronage of Kangra royal family’s king Raja Govardhan Chand
• These Pahari paintings depict nature and an extremely subtle style of art, which is a change from the prior traditions of the Basohli art
• The Guler school of Pahari painting makes use of soft hues that have cool undertones. The style appears to have been inspired by the naturalistic style of the Mughal painting of the Muhammad Shah period
• The Guler portraits together with the Bhagavata have been grouped under a common title of “Guler Style”
• This style of Pahari painting is more refined, subdued, and elegant compared to the bold vitality of the Basohli style
• Though initiated by Manak, his brother Nainsukh, who became the court painter of Raja Balwant Singh of Jasrota, is responsible for the shaping of the Guler School of Pahari painting in a more thoughtful way
• Manak’s most outstanding work, which preserves some elements of the Baholi style, is a set of Gita Govinda painted in 1730 at Guler
• Famous Artists: Pandit Seu, Manak, Nainsukh

Kangra School of painting

• The Kangra School came into being only in the 1780s
• Under the patronage of Raja Sansar Chand (1775–1823), the Kangra school of Pahari painting flourished
• The capital town of Tira Sujanpur, situated on the banks of river Beas, emerged as the most prolific centre of Pahari painting under his patronage. Soon it spread to Garhwal in the east and Kashmir in the west
• An earlier phase of Kangra Kalam paintings was witnessed in Alampur and the most mature paintings were painted at Nadaun
• The Kangra school of painting is some of the most poetic and lyrical of Indian styles and has made its mark for its eloquence and delicate details
• The most distinctive defining features of the Kangra school are delicacy of line, brilliance of colour and minuteness of decorative details
• Most popular Themes: Gita Govinda, Bhagavata Purana, Bihari Satsai, Nala Damayanti, Ragamala and Baramasa
• The famed illustration of ‘Ashta Nayikas’ or eight heroines is one of the most painted themes in Kangra school of painting, involving the depiction of women in various dispositions and emotive states
• Important Painters belonging to the Kangra school of painting: Fattu, Khushala as well as purkhu

CONCLUSION

We can say that the style of painting that originated in the Western Himalayas popularly came to be known as the Pahari School of Painting. From the seventeenth through the nineteenth century, this school of art flourished widely and gradually took names of the towns it developed in. The family of Pandit Seu (Shiv) has been credited with the shaping of Pahari Painting.  The most famous among pahari paintings is the Basohli School of Pahari Painting, amongst others. Lastly, Pahari Painting is known for the use of distinctive colours.