PAINTING
Flourished During : Harsha's Reign
Styles : Mughal, Kangra, Rajput & Persian
Haryana
had been the point of confluence for various tribes, races, invaders,
cultures and faiths, antedating to 2500 BC and it witnessed the merging of
numerous styles of painting. Discoveries of earthenware and designs
painted on them in black and white in Siswal district of Haryana are the
first impressions of art in this state. Mitathal and Banwali districts
have also revealed that art did exist here, but definitely on a much
smaller scale than that of the other regions in India. The drawings are
mainly in horizontal and vertical lines, with a little more creativity
allotted to floral art.
The Origin
Art and painting received special attention for some time during the rule of King
Harsha, as he himself was a painter and a connoisseur of
arts. After the death of Harsha, painting flourished for a while under the
Rajputs, but the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate put an end to this.
The Sultans had no love for art and were busy fighting wars and battles.
Art reached its epitome during the reign of Mughal Empire. Jehangir was a
patron of art, and during his rule the influence of the Persian painting
style was happily married to the Indian style.
In the past, the rich jagirdars (landlords) who were great patrons of
art, engaged artisans and painters to do up their houses; ceilings and the
walls. Temples in this region have provided the painters an arena to
exhibit their work, decorating everything within reach with landscapes,
dances, hunting expeditions, wrestling bouts, birds, bees and love scenes.
In the 18th century the Rewaris made sure that painters got enough
work, albeit under a Rajput style. The mirthful god, Krishna has aroused
most artistic fervours in the villages - walls, doors, and windows all
bore this likeness with the Mughal and Kangra styles merging with the
Rajput style.
The Art On Display
The
walls of the palace of Maharaja Tej Singh in Mirpur in Gurgaon are adorned
with paintings done in Rajput style. The patterns on the walls depict
scenes from the Ramayana. The 'Matru Mad ki Piao' in Gurgaon features
mythological paintings, but these paintings are slowly fading away. The 'Asthal
Bohar' paintings are also in the Rajput style, and their influence can be
seen even in the Shiva temples in Panchkula and Pinjore, Venumadhava
temple in Kaul, the temples in Kaithal and Pabnama, the Kapil temple in
Kilayat and the Sarsainth temple in Sirsa.
The Rang Mahal in Pinjore is also decorated with wall paintings, an
originality straight from the hands of Mughal painters. The 'samadhis' of
Lala Balak Ram and Lala Jamuna Das in Jagadhari in Ambala are famous for
their wall paintings from Hindu mythology. The entrances to both are
flanked by heavily painted 'dwarapalas'. The Rajiwala temple near the
'samadhis' also boasts of religious themes in its paintings. Its walls,
cells and verandah have been subjected to the Jain style, while the Qila
Mubarak, a two-storeyed Mughal structure is embellished with images of
birds and flowers.
Kurukshetra's Bhadra Kali temple has
religious themes and frescoes running throughout its structure, with a
broad frieze bordering the lower end. The second storey is covered with
murals, as is the haveli (house) of Rani Chand Kaur and the temple of Shri
Ram Radha in Pehowa and the temple of Baba Shrawan Nath. There are similar
paintings in temples and holy Hindu places throughout Haryana.
The Elaborate Use of Calligraphy
The Persian style infused with script also gained prominence, especially
with murals in which the Persian script is freely used. Elaborate details
form the central theme within which verses from the Quran are written in
various flowing styles, following the calligraphy method.
Mughal paintings also seeped into Hindu temples, especially in Kaithal,
Kalayat and Rohtak, where the subject matter has been heavily inspired
by mythology and carries moral and spiritual messages. In Rohtak,
paintings have been found, which are now in possession of the Manuscripts
Department of Kurukshetra University. Liberal use of blue, pink, green,
orange and red enhance the beauty of these paintings.
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