Date: 03/04/2023 Shift: 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM Q. No: 120

Kangra Miniature painting is one of the schools of Pahari paintings along with Guler, Basholi, Mandi, Chamba and Bilaspur. Miniatures are small-sized paintings, generally done in water colour on cloth or paper.
Painting in the Kangra region blossomed under the patronage of a remarkable ruler, Raja Sansar Chand (1775–1823). It is believed that when Prakash Chand of Guler came under grave financial crisis and could no longer maintain his atelier, his master artist, Manaku, and his sons took service under Sansar Chand of Kangra. Raja Sansar Chand established supremacy of Kangra over all surrounding hill states. Tira Sujanpur, his capital town on the banks of river Beas, emerged as the most prolific centre of painting under his patronage.
The Kangra style is by far the most poetic and lyrical of Indian styles marked with serene beauty and delicacy of execution. Characteristic features of the Kangra style are delicacy of line, brilliance of colour and minuteness of decorative details. Distinctive is the delineation of the female face, with straight nose in line with the forehead, which came in vogue around the 1790s is the most distinctive feature of this style.
Most popular themes that were painted were the Bhagvata Purana, Gita Govinda, Nala Damayanti and Bihari Satsai. Many other paintings comprise a pictorial record of Sansar Chand and his court. He is shown sitting by the riverside, listening to music, watching dancers, presiding over festivals, practising tent pegging and archery, drilling troops and so on and forth. Fattu, Purkhu and Khushala are important painters of the Kangra style.

A. Tira Sujanpur was the most prolific centre of painting under the patronage of Raja Sansar Chand.
B. Sansar Chand and his court formed one of the popular subjects of Kangra paintings.
C Kangra paintings are known for their subdued colours and delineation of courtiers’ faces.