PAINTINGS:

Rajasthan's role in the development of Indian art has been very important. It is a state, which is called the " House of handicrafts" and "Shoppers paradise". There have been various forms of art existent in Rajasthan, the decoration of dwellings and other household objects was but one aspect of the creative genius of the Rajasthani in which the world of miniature paintings is perhaps the most fascinating and the distinctive styles that have existed here are renowned the world over. From the 16th century onwards there flourished different schools of paintings like the Mewar school, the Bundi-Kota kalam, the Jaipur, Bikaner, Kishengarh and Marwar schools.

From humble village huts to the opulent palces of the Maharajas, paintings can be found everywhere in many colours and forms. Rajasthani paintings can broadly be classified into wall, cloth and miniature paintings.

It is widely believed that the miniature artists of Rajasthan were practicing and perfecting their art as early as the beginning of the 16th century and were later employed by the Mughal courts, specially by the Great Mughal emperor Akbar.

Different schools of this fascinating art have flourished here since the 16th century, each with its own distinctive style.

Influenced by the surroundings, these medieval paintings have their own unique styles - the hills and valleys, deserts, places and forts, gardens, court scenes, religious processions and those highlighting scenes from the life of Lord Krishna were the recurrent themes of these paintings.

But there is a traditional favorite with painters in Rajasthan: the Raagmala or the moods of music Just as, in music, a set of combination of notes, sung in a specific ascending and descending order, conjures up a mood, known as a raga, here the imagination of the artist supplies the images and colours that evoke the mood of the raga. Here the raga or mood conjures up a morning whose freshness is made more joyful by voices in a song about the glory of God. The fresh colours are brightened by the use of gem dust to paint in the images.

The Raagamala paintings and those based on Geeta Govinda are treasures of Rajasthan.

Of the various forms of paintings Kishengarh school is best known for its Bani-Thani paintings. A totally different style with highly exaggerate features - long necks, large, almondshaped eyes, long fingers and the use of subdued colours. The originality of style can be credited to its royal patron - Raja Sawant Singh, better known as Nagari Das. The usual court scenes have also been painted h-ere but it was Nagari Das and his love for the singer-poet Bani-Thani, which gave this tiny state the most refined and delicate paintings

Jodhpur has a very strong folk tradition and here the figures are mainly robust warriors and dainty women. Paintings of the legendary lovers like Dhola-Maru on camelback, hunting scenes, which included innumerable horses, and elephants dominate the paintings of the Marwar region. Similarly, Bikaner too had strong Mughal influences and developed a style which was a combination of both the local as well as borrowed styles. The colours used by the miniature artists were made from minerals.

MATERIAL USED FOR PAINTINGS