Garhwal was
always considered a safe haven for wanderers, adventurers, political
sufferers, philosophical thinkers and nature lovers. About the middle of
the Mughal style of Miniature painting. After nineteen months, the Prince
left Garhwal but his court painters enchanted by the environs, stayed
behind. These painters settled in Srinagar Miniature Painting by Mola Ram,
Garhwal 17th century A.D. Suleman Shikoh, a Mughal Prince,
took refuge in Garhwal. The Prince brought along with him an artist and
his son who were his court painters and well versed in the (Garhwal), the
then capital of the Pawar dynasty and introduced the Mughal style of
painting in Garhwal. With the passage of time, the successors of these
original masters became expert painters and also developed an original
style of their own. This style later on came to be known as the Garhwal
School of Painting.
About a century later, a famous painter,
Mola Ram, developed a style of painting equalled in romantic charm, only
by few other styles of painting. He was not only a great master of the
Garhwal School of Painting but also a great poet of his time. We find
beautiful poems in some of Mola Ram's paintings. There are definite
influences of other Pahari Schools reflected in these paintings, but the
overall originality of the Garhwal School is maintained. Special features
of the Garhwal School include beautiful women with fully developed
breasts, thin waist line, soft oval shaped face, delicate brow and thin
nose with definite nose bridge. Poet cum artist Mola Ram was undoubtedly
an exceptional personality of his age, for, he wrote poems, made notes,
collected data and painted a diverse range of subjects.
The
matrimonial alliance of the King Pradhyuman Shah (1797-1804 A D) with a
Guler Princess of Kangra induced many Guler artists to come and reside in
Garhwal. Their technique greatly influenced the Garhwal style of painting.
With the cultivation of ideal beauty, its fusion of religion and romance,
its blending of poetry and passion, the paintings of Garhwal are an
embodiment in painting of the Indian attitude of love.
From
painstaking research work undertaken by eminent scholars and art
historians, we know the names of various painters of that time. Shyam Das
and Har Das were first in the family tree, probably being the first ones
to come to Garhwal with Prince Suleman. Hiralal Mangat Ram, Molaram,
Jwalaram, Tejram, Brijnath were some of the great masters of this school
of art.
The masterpieces of the Garhwal School of Painting
include the following :
Illustrations of Ramayana (1780 A.D)
Celebrations
of Balarama's birthday (1780 A D)
Series of Raginis
Shiva and
Parvati
Utkat Nayika
Abhisarika Nayika
Krishna painting the
feet of Radha
Radha looking into a mirror
Varsha Vihar
Kaliya
Daman
Illustrations of Gita Govinda
A rich collection of
these paintings are displayed in the University Museum in Srinagar,
Garhwal, along with many sculptures and finds from archaeological
excavations.
Home
>>States >>
Uttaranchal Travel Guide >>
Art Heritage >> Paintings
»
