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II. Pahari miniature painting: themes Pahari painting is predominantly religious by nature, having its main contents adhering to sacred themes, namely representations of Hindu gods and goddesses, and scenes from Hindu mythology. Its most favourite subjects are drawn from the life of Krishna, the cowherd god and the incarnation of Vishnu, the divine protector of the Universe. Poets and painters dwell above all on Krishna's frolic sports and love-plays with the milkmaids (nos. 2 , 3 ) that have become impregnated with mysticism [14] . Episodes from the puranas, especially those that glorify Devi or Durga, the consort of Shiva and the personification of the female principle, frequently occur, side by side with events drawn from the national epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Moreover, Pahari paintings fondly illustrate every aspect of medieval Hindi literature, epic, lyric, musical and erotic. Scenes of valour, unfolding either legendary or local and historical deeds of heroism, enjoyed special favour among the valiant Rajput clans, as much as idealised portraits of the ruling Rajas and their illustrious ancestors. Configurations of musical modes, of various sentiments of love, ballads and romances taken from ancient and contemporary tales, formed part of the rich content of this art. Krishna subjects, known commonly as Krishna Lila (2 , 3 , 6 , 7 ), predominate, while the themes of love, inspired by the nayakas and nayikas [15] (5 , 6 , 9 , 10 ), the Baramasa literature [16] (8 ), the Bihari Satsai [17] (1 , 11 ) and such like (12 , 14 ), enjoyed great favour. Naturalistic drawings of animals and birds, of flowers and fruits also appeared frequently. Pahari painting presents in visual terms a world of fantasy, of mysticism and idyllic love, conceived in the sphere of chivalry and romance of the Rajput courts, but offers at the same time a glimpse of many delightful aspects of daily life and the natural environment in a most sympathetic way. | |
