Maharana Pratap: The Pillar of Rajasthani Miniature Art – Saxena
First Phase of Haldighati Victory 450th Anniversary Celebrations Underway
Udaipur, As the nation enters the 450th year of the historic Battle of Haldighati, the Pratap Gaurav Kendra Rashtriya Tirth in Udaipur has organized a week-long celebration from June 18 to 25. The inaugural phase features an immersive workshop on Mewar miniature paintings and ancient scripts, witnessing enthusiastic participation. The workshop includes reading, training, demonstrations, and in-depth discussions with subject experts.
On Friday, a special art discourse on “The Form of Mewar Miniature Style during the Era of Maharana Pratap” was held at the Padmini Auditorium of the Pratap Gaurav Kendra.
Delivering the keynote, Centre Director Anurag Saxena emphasized that while Maharana Pratap is widely recognized as a great warrior, his contributions to the promotion of art and painting remain underexplored. Saxena called for detailed research in this domain.
He noted that the Chawand style of painting developed during Maharana Pratap’s time is considered the foundational stone of Rajasthani miniature art. Themes such as Brahma-Saraswati were depicted in this style, and the tradition of Ragmala paintings is also traced back to this period, continuing into the reign of Amar Singh.
Saxena explained that early works prominently featured red and yellow hues, with minimal use of blue and green, resulting in harmonious and aesthetic color compositions. He also highlighted that Maharana Pratap promoted agricultural reforms and commissioned works like Vishwavallabh.
Mewar Style: The Mother of All Rajasthani Painting Traditions – Prof. Yugal Kishore Sharma
Earlier, in an art discourse on “Maharana Raj Singh in the Context of Art,” Professor Yugal Kishore Sharma, retired faculty from Government College Nathdwara and senior art critic, asserted that the Mewar miniature style is not just a painting trend but the very core of Rajasthani art traditions.
He said the style emerged from a blend of Apabhramsa elements (like absence of peripheral vision) and local Mewar painting traditions, making it the progenitor of all Rajasthani painting styles.
Prof. Sharma cited the earliest evidence of this style in the Shravak Pratikraman Sutra Churna, followed by rich illustrations in Geet Govind, Bhagavat Purana, Ragmala, and Arsha Ramayana.
He remarked that during Maharana Raj Singh’s reign, the installation of Shrinathji in Nathdwara led to the birth of the Nathdwara style, a sub-style of Mewar miniature painting. Its hallmark is the Pichhwai format, showcasing devotion to Krishna through vivid color schemes, iconographic purity, and technical excellence.
The workshop also included deep discussions on subject themes, color schemes, compositions, and technical intricacies of miniature art.
Workshop Coordinator Prof. Ram Singh Bhati informed that both senior and young artists are actively participating in the training, including Anandilal Sharma, Ashok Sharma, Chhotu Lal, Shankar Sharma, Pushkar Lohar, Ganesh Gaur, Govind Ballabh Sharma, Jagdish Yadav, Khoobiram Sharma, Lalit Soni, Mandeep Sharma, Madanlal Sharma, Narottam Kumawat, Omprakash, Pramod Soni, Radheshyam Swarnkar, Rajesh Soni, Ramchandra Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, and Shyam Sunder Sharma.
साभार :
© CopyRight Pressnote.in | A Avid Web Solutions Venture.