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Indian Music

Meaning - "Music is created when swaras (tone) and rhythms take shape."

History -
● Brahmaji ------> Shivdevi Saraswati (Holding Veena-book)--------> Narada -------> The
eunuch + Gandharva Apsaras of heaven.
● Samaveda ---------> Puranas ----------> Samhita etc.
● Bharatamuni's "Natyashastra" (between 400 BC to 100 AD)
● Development of music in four main milieu

Ragas -
- Creation of ragas to make musical practice accessible to all.
- Six Main Ragas -
1. Hindol - Night, Spring, Love
2. Bhairavi – Dawn time, in the autumn, peaceful
3. Megh - Rainy season, Courage, Seriousness
4. Shree - Evening, Winter, Cheerfulness
5. Deepak- At night, in summer, Karuna
6. Malkauns - Midnight, Winter, Veer (equivalent to Carnatic music)
- Those who gained mastery by practicing these ragas were called
Singers.
Ras:
Meaning - Emotions created through the medium of art.
Types of ras-
1. Shringar (Love), 2. Hasya (Humour) 3. Karuna (Empathy), 4. Raudra (Anger)
5. Bhayanak (Fright) 6. Veer (Courage) 7. Adbhut (Wonder) 8. Vibhats
(Detesting) 9. Shant (Calmness)

Types of Music -
(1) Classical Music -
Meaning- To be sung according to the long-established principles of singing style.

There are two types of classical music -

1. Hindustani Music.
2. Carnatic music.

(1) Hindustani Classical music -

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● This style of singing is popular in North India.

● It is also popular style of music in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
● This music originally developed under the patronage of the Mughal rulers.
● The main theme of this style of music is Love.
● Tabla, Tanpura, Sarangi and Harmonium are its main instruments.
● It has a great influence of Arabic-Persian music over it.

Main Styles of Hindustani Music

(A) Dhrupad -
● It is one of the oldest and magnificent forms of Hindustani classical music.
● Due to adherence to word (Shabda), tone (Swara) and rhythm (Tal) without any
change in its original structure, it was called Dhrupad (Dhruva + pad).
● This style represents perfection blend of tone, rhythm and verse singing.

(B) Khyal-
● Khyal was born in singing in response to the tough rigging of Dhrupad.
● Primary Emphasis given to swaras, creation of swara and its management and
imagination in singing.
● Presently this style of singing is considered to be the Representative voice of
Indian music.
● Under this style, the Gharanas came into existence under the Guru-Shishya
tradition; Such as Gwalior Gharana, Agra Gharana, Jaipur Gharana, Kirana
Gharana (Rajasthan), Patiala Gharana etc.
● The composition of Khyal is also known as Bandish.
● The use of taan (tone) in this composition is its unique feature.

(C) Thumri
● It has its origin in Lucknow.
● Being based on mixed ragas, it is generally considered as semi-classical music.
● Love and the emotions of a person are important in this style of singing.
● In this, the same lyrics are sung with many Ras and many expressions.
● The term Thumri is also used for lighter forms like Chaiti, Kajari, Sawhney, Hori,
Dadra and Jhula.
● It is generally sung by women.

(D) Tappa
● It is same as Thumri.
● In this style, the singer concentrates on fine tunes, which requires rigorous
practice.
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● Therefore it is more of an object of curiosity than singing.

(E) Tarana
● Rhythm plays a very important role in this style of singing.
● It uses many words sung rapidly.

(2) Carnatic Classical Music

● This is the classical music of South India.
● This music is purely of Indian origin.
● This music is mainly inspired by devotion.
● It has two main elements - Raga and Taal.
● Singing of ragas is prevalent in this style of singing.
● There is more emphasis on vocals.
● Tyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri are called the "Trimurti"
(trio) of Carnatic music.
● Purandaradasa is the father of this style.

(2) Folk Music -

Baul:
● Along with a type of music, it is also a Bengali religious sect.
● It is also a folk music.
● This song-music represents a legacy of preaching mysticism through songs in Bengal.

Vanavan:
● This is the folk music of Kashmir.
● It is sung especially in marriage ceremonies.

Pandwani-
● It is a folk music based on the Mahabharata.
● Generally these songs are sung to the rhythm of the Tamboora.
● Teejan bai of Chhattisgarh is a famous Pandwani singer.

Alha:
● This is a story of courage sung in Madhya Pradesh.
● In these songs, the five Pandavas of Mahabharata are presented as reincarnations.
● These five stalwarts are replaced by - Alha, Udal, Malkhan, Lakhan and Deva.
● It is also available in written form.
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Panihari -
● This is the folk song of Rajasthan.
● Its basic theme is water.

Ovi-
● This is a folk song of women of Maharashtra and Goa.
● It generally consists of four lines of poetry.
● These songs are sung for marriage, conception and as lullabies.

Lavani-
● It is a very popular folk music and dance of Maharashtra.
● It is usually performed on the beat of the dholak.

Mand-
● This is the folk music of Rajasthan.
● The theme of these songs is the glory of the Rajput rulers.

Powara-
● This is the folk song of Maharashtra.
● This is a song usually sung for heroes like Shivaji.

Khongjom-
● It is an important popular song of Manipur having theme of courageous stories.

Bhagwati-
● It is a very popular emotional song and music in Karnataka and Maharashtra.

● Bihu and Tokri Geet - Assam

● Madiga Dappu - Telangana
● Bahula and Bariyali - West Bengal
● Abhang - Maharashtra (verses sung in praise of Vitthal)
● Gondhar - Maharashtra
● Mahia - Punjab
● Sohar- Bihar (On childbirth)
● Ja-jin-ja and Niyoga - Arunachal Pradesh (marriage song)
● Hereileu- Nagaland (war song)

(3) Sugam Sangeet

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● Such music have both classical and folk songs characteristics.

● Bhajan, Shabad, Kirtan, Qawwali, Film Music etc. fall in this category.
● Being relatively easy to sing, they have been called "sugam sangeet".
● It is the most popular music of the present times.
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Indian Dances
Meaning:
- Integrated performance of songs, music and physical movements.

History -
● Community dance murals in Bhimbethka.
● Bronze statue of the dancer found at excavation site of Indus valley.
● The mention of Nataraja Shiva's dance in Vedic literature.
● Discussion about acting in Yajurveda.
● In the mythological sagas, the dance of Shiva and Parvati was called "Tandava" and
"Lasya" dance respectively.
● The first formal and detailed description is available in Bharatamuni's 'Natyashastra'.
● Bharatmuni called dance as the actual 'complete art'. According to him, all other
forms of art are included in it such as music, artisticity, poetry and drama.

Classical Dance - Total 8

(1) Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu)

● This is the regional dance of Tamil Nadu. In Tamil, 'Natyam' means dance.
● It is the oldest dance performed by Devadasis in Tamil Nadu.
● It is also known as 'Agni Nritya', as most of its postures resemble the waving flames
of fire.
● Equal emphasis is given to both sides- Tandava (male oriented) and Lasya (female
oriented).
● Types of Bharatnatyam are Pandanallur, Thanjavur style etc
● Famous dancers -
○ Yamini Krishnamurthy
○ Padma Subrahmanyam,
○ Mrinalini Sarabhai
○ Sonal Mansingh and
○ Rukmini Devi etc.
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(2) Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh)

● This dance form is called Kuchipudi after the name of village Kuchelapuram or
Kuchilapuri in Andhra Pradesh.
● The traditional and essential dance performed by priests of this village in front of
God is its original source.
● Most of its performances are based on the stories of Bhagwat.
● There is jugalbandi of Carnatic music.
● Sometimes it is performed like a dance drama in which the dancer plays the role of
singer.
● Initially it was men's monopoly on this style of dancing. But later many female
dancers also performed this efficiently.
● Leading Dancers -
- Raja and Radha Reddy,
- Yamini Krishnamurthy,
- Swapna Sundari, and
- Indrani Rahman etc.

(3) Kathakali (Kerala 17th century)

● The traditional folk dramas 'Krishnattam' and 'Ramanattam' have been the source of
inspiration for this dance style which flourished in the temple of Kerala. In these
dances, the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata were performed.
● It is made up of two words 'Katha' (story) and 'Kali' (dance).
● Most of its dances express the eternal struggle between good and evil.
● Characterization of Ras by the movement of eyes is a unique feature of this dance.
● Symbolic meaning of colors applied on the face -
- Green color - nobility, divinity and virtue (Satvik)
- Black color - Wickedness and Evil (Tamas)
- Red color - Rajas
- Yellow color - Satvik and Rajas
● There is integration between Aryan and Dravidian cultures in this dance.
● Leading Dancers
- Mrinalini Sarabhai
- Rita Ganguly
- Guru Kunchu Kurup and
- Kanak Rele etc.

(4) Mohiniattam (Kerala)

● It is a solo dance of Kerala.
● Mohini (beautiful woman) + attam (dance).
● The story of the feminine dance of Vishnu commonly performed in this dance form.
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○ That is, for the killing of Bhashmasura, the story of the reincarnation of
Vishnu as Mohini is its main theme.
● It is a mixture of the elegance of Mohiniattam and the valor of Kathakali.
● This dance is performed by women.
● Leading Dancers -
- Vaijantimala
- Hemamalini
- Shanta Rao, and
- Bharati Shivaji, etc.

(5) Kathak (Uttar Pradesh)

● It originated from Raslila of Brajbhoomi in Uttar Pradesh.
● Its name derives from 'Kathika', meaning storyteller (narrator), who used to describe
episodes of epics with music and postures.
● Gradually it took the form of dance. But Radha-Krishna remained as the central
theme of the story.
● It became a court-dance in the Mughal period.
● Lucknow, Jaipur and Raigarh are its most famous Gharanas.
● This dance form reached its peak during the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of
Lucknow.
● The specialty of Kathak is in complex foot movements and revolution around a circle.
Knees are not folded in this dance.
● Its beauty is in the fact that the same lyrics are shown with different gestures and
hand movements.
● Competitive duet between tabla-player and dancer is its main attribute.
● Leading Dancers -
- Birju Maharaj,
- Lachhu Maharaj,
- Uma Sharma
- Gopi Krishna and
- Shambhu Maharaj etc.

(6) Odyssey - (Orissa)

● This dance form is probably based on the "Odra" dance described in 'Natyashastra'.
● The oldest examples of this dance are found in the caves of Khandagiri and
Udayagiri.
● The people of the Maharis (Devadasi) sect used to dance in temples from the ancient
times, which later developed into Odissi dance form.
● It is like Bharatanatyam according to postures and configurations.
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● There are mainly three bends in posture (Tribhanga). The body bends in one
direction from the knees to the other direction from the waist and third from the
neck.
● The gesture, raga and tala are coordinated with this tribhanga posture.
● Characterization of beauty, elegance and sensuality is its specialty.
● Since dancers create intricate postures from their bodies, it is known as "moving
sculpture".
● Leading Dancers-
- Samyukta Panigrahi
- Sonal Mansingh
- Madhavi Mudgal
- Guru Kelu Charan Mohapatra, and
- Sharon Lowen (USA) etc.

(7) Manipuri (Manipur)

● Its origin is believed to be mythological. This mode developed more after the advent
of Vaishnavism.
● In this dance, there is more emphasis on devotion.
● It has very few postures.
● Nagabhanda Mudra is its most important posture. In this, the body is displayed as a
figure of 8.
● The dancers do not tie ghungroo.
● This dance gained national recognition after Guru Rabindranath Tagore commenced
its training in Shanti Niketan.
● Leading Dancers-
- Guru Bipin Singh, and
- Jhaveri sisters - Nayana, Swarna, Ranjana and Darshana.

(8) Sattriya (Assam)

● It was presented by Vaishnav saint Shankaradeva in the 15th century.
● Its name is derived from the Vaishnava monasteries, which are called Satras.
● Its central theme is to present the mythological stories of Vishnu in a devotional
manner.
● Khel and flutes are its main instruments.
● Major emphasis on foot movements, lyrical words and postures.
● It follows very strict rules regarding hand postures and movement.
● It was recognized as a 'classical dance' by Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2000.
● Leading personality -
- Mridusmita Das
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Major folk dances

(1) Chhau -
● It is derived from the word ‘ chhaya’ (shadow), indicating 'mask', or 'shadow'.
● This is a type of mask dance.
● It uses powerful combat related movements to describe mythological stories.
● In this Nataraja Shiva is conceived as Ardhanarishwar.
● This includes natural themes in addition to religious themes; Such as Shikari Dance,
Mayuri Dance, Phool Basant Dance etc.
● There are three styles of this dance -
1. Seraikela Chhau-Jharkhand
2. Mayurbhanj Chhau - Odisha, and
3. Purulia Chhau - West Bengal
● In 2011, UNESCO has included it in the list of "Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity".

(2) Yakshagana
● 'Yakshagana' dance-drama developed from Karnataka’s theatrical composition
'Bahunataka Giti'.
●
(3) Garba -
● It is a popular dance performed in Gujarat on the occasion of Navratri.
● Garba means - Garbha Deep (perforated earthen vessel).
● In this, women dance in a circle and do clapping.

(4) Dandiya Raas -

● It is a traditional folk dance of Gujarat. It is performed in the evening of Navratri.
● In Dandiya Raas, men and women dance in two circles with sticks in their hands.

(5) Ghoomar -Gangaur

● It is a traditional dance performed by women of the Bhil tribe in Rajasthan.
●
(6) Kalbeliya- performed by the women of Snake charmers community of Rajasthan.

(7) Charba - Dussehra dance in Himachal Pradesh.

(8) Bhangra - the energetic dance of Punjab (by men)

(9) Gidda - This is the female version of Bhangra.

(11) Rasleela - Dance related to Radha-Krishna, Uttar Pradesh.

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(12) Dadra - Semi-classical dance of Uttar Pradesh.

(13) Bidesia - a popular dance of entertainment in Bihar.

(14) Jhoomar - a harvesting dance of the tribes of Jharkhand and Odisha.

(15) Danda-Jatra - Ancient Dance of Odisha (Shiv Katha)

(16) Bihu - Assamese dance, performed by men and women.

(17) Tarang Mel - A dance performed by the youth of Goa at the time of Dussehra and Holi.

(18) Singhicham - Sikkim's popular mask dance.

(19) Kolattam - Girls dance in Tamil Nadu (like Garba).

(20) Kaikottikali - Dance performed by girls and women on the occasion of Onam in Kerala.

(21) Ghanta Mardala - dance of Andhra Pradesh.

(22) Kumbhi - A circular dance of women in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

(23) Padayani - a Martial art dance performed in the temples of Kerala.

(24) Thang ta - thang (sword) + ta (spear). Martial Arts Dance of Manipur.

(25) Rangma / bamboo dance - Martial Arts Dance of Nagaland.

(26) Baguramba - Spring dance of Bodo community of Assam.

(27) Karagam - Rain-dance of Tamil Nadu. etc

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Theatre (Natya)
Meaning
● The word 'Nat' means dancer, actor.
● It includes mixture of poetry, dance, music and acting.

History:

● Sitabengra and Jogimara Caves of Chhattisgarh (300 BC) are considered to be the
ancient theater of the world.
● The 'Natyashastra' of Bharatmuni gives information about its methodical existence.
There is a detailed description of the drama.
○ The Sanskrit theater tradition derived its principles (sutras) from here only.
● "Sariputraprakaran", composed by Ashwaghosh (Ayodhya, Buddhist philosopher,
poet and playwright, born 80 AD), is considered the first classical theater work.
● Sanskrit playwrights -
○ Bhas (200 BC) - Swapnavasdattam
○ Shudraka - mritchkatikam
○ Visakhadatta - Mudrarakshas
○ Kalidasa - Malavikagnimitram, Vikramorvashiyam, Abhigyan Shakuntalam
○ Bhavabhuti - Uttararamcharitra
○ Harshvardhan - Ratnavali

Folk Theatre -
● Emerged during 15-16th century.
● Initial main themes include religion, love and social topics.
● Major Folk Theatre (Lok Manch)

(1) Nautanki
● Extremely popular theatrical form of Uttar Pradesh.
● Dialogical
● Loud voice
● Dramatical Style

(2) Rasleela
● Popular in the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat
● Main theme is Radhakrishna.

(3) Ramleela
● Originally introduced by Goswami Tulsidas.
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● Stage performance of 'Ramcharitmanas'.

(4) Macha
● Folk theatre of Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.
● It is characterized by the presence of dialogue in the form of couplets.

(5) Jatra
● Introduced by Vaishnava saint Lord Chaitanya.
● Theatrical style of Eastern India, especially from West Bengal.
● It is performed on Muktakash Manch (open theatre).

(6) Sang (Swang)

● Entertaining theatrical style of Punjab and Haryana.
● In this, the players sit in the open space in the middle of the audience. Actors roam
around the stage.
● The presentation is very musical and 'full of humor.

(7) Bhavai
● It originated in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
● Initially it was performed during religious festivals to please the Mother Goddess.
Now it is performed throughout the year.
● Bhavai performers move from village to village.

(8) Ankia Natya -

● It is a form of drama from Assam.
● It was started by the Vaishnava saint Shankaradeva.
● It is performed in opera (dance-drama) style.
● The description of sight of Krishna is its main theme.

(9) Daskathiya-
● It is the drama genre of Odisha.
● It consists of two narrators.
● In this there is a coordination of acting and music, which is produced with the help of
a wooden instrument named Kathia.

(10) Kariyala
● It is popular in the tarai areas of Himachal Pradesh.
● It is a form of Muktakash Natakala (open theatre art).
● In this, serious questions related to life and deaths are depicted.

(11) Powada
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● This is the staged form of Gitikavya, which describes the valor of Shivaji killing Afzal
Khan.

(12) Tamasha-
● This is the most popular drama genre of Maharashtra.
● The presence of female actresses, even dressed as males, is its unique feature.
● It also usually includes Lavani songs.

(13) Burra Katha -

● This is the popular theatrical tradition of Andhra Pradesh.
● It is named after instrument Burra which is widely used during the performance.

(14) Theyyam-
● It is a ceremonial ghost drama of Karnataka.
● It is performed in local temples in honor of the ancestor's soul.

Some other folk theater styles -

● Kuruvanji - Tamil Nadu
● Bayalata - Karnataka
● Pagati Vesalu - Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
● Oja Pali - Assam
● Garogh - Gujarat
● Mudiyettu - Kerala (ceremonial)
● Jashin - Kashmir
● Khyal - Rajasthan (dance-drama)
● Therukkuthu - Tamil Nadu (Nukkad Natak) etc.
---

Painting
History
● The oldest collection of paintings is in Bhimbetka caves (Discoverer-VS Wakankar)
near Bhopal.
● It usually has figures like bulls, bears, tigers etc. and pictures of humans hunting,
dancing and body decoration.
● These paintings are dated to the Neolithic age ( 12,000 years ago).
● The walls of the Jogimara cave on the Ramgarh hills of Surguja district of
Chhattisgarh are of the first century BC.
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● The painting ranks fourth among the 64 arts mentioned in the work 'Kamasutra' of
Vatsyayana (second-third century, Patna).
● For the same book, Jai Mangala (Yashodhar Pandit of Jaipur Durbar), commentary
mentions 6 parts of the painting -
(1) Roopbhed
(2) Praman
(3) Bhaav (Expressions)
(4) Lavanya Yojana
(5)Sadrishya, and
(6) Varnika Bhang.
● Later painters of India made paintings based on these principles.
● The actual beginning of modern painting is believed to be from the Gupta period
(320 AD).
● The oldest paintings, which are available in good condition even today, can be seen
in the caves of Ajanta, Ellora and Bagh.
○ These are basically murals, either on natural caves or on rock cut caves.
○ The most popular theme of these paintings is related to Hinduism, Jainism
and Buddhism.
● Medieval painting.
● British period painting and
● Modern painting.

Miniature painting

Meaning:

● Pictures that is small in size yet descriptive.

General Principle:
● The picture should not be larger than 25 square inches.
● The object being depicted must not be painted more than 1/6 of its actual size.

Some common points -

● The details in these paintings are very subtle and dense.
● They are often made on paper, palm paper (especially in South India), clothes and
books.
● These often show the side profile of the human figure;
● Typically bulging eyes, sharp nose and chin, thin waist in human forms.
● Clothing and hairstyle are traditional.
● Bright colors are used in abundance.
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● Their main attraction is their complexity and delicate brushwork, which make them
extraordinary.
● This painting started in the middle of 6th to 7th century. But they developed from
the 9th to the 11th century.
● Its quintessential form was developed later from Delhi Sultanate period to Mughal
period.
● During Mughal era, Princely States had developed their own styles of miniature
painting.
● Many such regional styles of miniature paintings are still alive in the present day as
part of the folk tradition.

Regional styles of miniatures

(1) Rajasthani style

● Presentation of the Jain style paintings, prevalent in the 15th century, in a new form
by the artists of the Rajput rulers is known as Rajasthani style.
● It is basically synonymous with Rajput style, which developed as a sub-genre in
different parts of Rajasthan.
● Portraits of this genre are deeply influenced by contemporary literary works and
traditions.
● A plurality of decorations is seen in the composition and color combination of this
style.
● Since the artists of the princely courts either came from the Mughal court, or were
influenced by the Mughal style, the Rajasthani style establishes the co-ordination of
'Ganga-Jamuni'.
● There are many sub-categories of this Rajasthani style, which are named after
princely states of their origin.

Subcategories -

(i) Mewar style (Jaipur, Alwar, Uniyara, Shekhawati etc.)

● The specialty of the series 'Ragamala' prepared in 1605 in the mountainous
region of Mewar is its uniqueness.
● This style mainly depicts the life of Krishna, his rasa-rang with gopis, their
appearance as lead characters and Indian ragas.
● Paintings were also made on the stories of Bhagwat and Ramayana.
● Pictures of court life are also available.
● Its most extraordinary painting is 'Tamasha', in which the formalities of the
court and the scenes of the city are depicted in great detail.

(ii) Marwar style (Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner)

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● Jodhpur was the main center of this style.

● The most important paintings of this style are portraits showing horse riding
by the royal family and the feudal lords.
● Early paintings of this style show men and women in extremely colorful
clothes.
● Paintings based on Shiv Puran, Natcharitra, Durgacharitra and Panchatantra
etc. were made.

(iii) Kishngarh Style

● It is considered to be a subtype of Jodhpur style (Marwar style).
● Nihalchand is very prominent among the painters of this style. The slim body
structure and the eyes of the body depicted in his works are very
extraordinary.
● Love themes of Radha-Krishna found in abundance in this style.
● The most prominent, popular and lively artwork of this genre is ‘Bani-Thani’,
who was love of Sawant Singh.
○ The distinctive face of Bani-Thani, big and lustrous eyes, thin lips and
sharp chin and colorful drapery have made this picture unique.
(iv) Bundi style (Hadoti region - Kota, Bundi and Jhalawar)
(Hadoti style)
● Rulers were devotee of Krishna. So, paintings based on devotion towards
Krishna were featured prominently.
● Pictures of local flora are in abundance.
● Different colors of the sky are shown. Mostly, a red ribbon is featured in the
sky.

(2) Pahari Style:

● This style of painting developed in about 22 princely states (sub-Himalayan states)
extending from Jammu to Almora. Prominent among these states are Mankot,
Nupur, Kullu, Mandi, Suket, Bilaspur, Nalgarh, Chamba, Guler and Kangra etc.
● These paintings contain themes like the culture, emotions and religious beliefs of the
hilly areas.
● The main motif of pictures is love.
● The miniatures here have an abundance of pictures of Krishna's childhood, cowherds
and Krishna's love story with Radha. In these paintings, Radha and Krishna are
depicted symbolically as lovers.

The Pahari style is divided into two main groups -

(1) Basohli style;
(2) Kangra style;
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(1) Basohli style;

● In fact, the Pahari painting style developed in the state of Basohli itself.
● Basohli is in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir.
● Later, this style spread to other princely states.
● Under the rule of Raja Kripal Singh (1678-1694) of this princely state, it took a
different kind of a genre.
● This style sustained for a long time due to its bright colors.
● The peculiar images made on Jayadev's composition 'Geet Govind' are its
specialty.
● Apart from this, a number of paintings were made about Bhagavata Purana and
Baramasa etc.
● Devidas and Nainsukh were famous painters of this style.
● This style was first mentioned by the Survey of India in its 1921 report.

(2) Kangra style:

● This style is truly scenic and romantic.
● It has the prominence of mythology and portraits of Ritikal’s lead female
characters.
● In fact, the most influential paintings in the Kangra style are that of women.
● Bihari's 'Satsai' and Nal-Damayanti's paintings are also very impressive.
● Later, different style of the courts of Kullu, Chamba and Mandi were developed.

(3) Miniatures of South India

● The use of gold in these paintings in abundance. This feature distinguishes them
from the style of North India.
● South Indian miniatures were originally made for worship and ceremonial works, not
for display.
Therefore, instead of courtly culture of North India and “nayak-nayika”
depiction, divine portrayal is prevalent.

It has two main sub-categories -

1. Thanjavur style, and
2. Mysore style.

(1) Thanjavur (Tanjore) Style

● The painters followed the principles of traditional sculptures.
● Shiva, Vishnu and Krishna were very popular among artists.
● Backgrounds in this style were mostly painted in red and green.
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● Most of the paintings in North India were made on cloths and parchments.
While this style used glass and wood panels.
● These paintings have become unique due to their excellent combination of
colors and generous use of gold sheets
● In order to produce effects in the paintings, gems and glass pieces have been
used for decorations.

(2) Mysore Style:

● The main theme of this style is Hindu gods and goddesses.
● There are 215 paintings made on the Bhagavata Purana in the manuscript of
Mysore.
● Each of their images has two or more figures, in which one figure is
prominent. This is a feature of this style.
● 'Gesso paste' was used in paintings. This paste is a mixture of zinc oxide and
arabic gum etc.
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Folk paintings

(1) Madhubani painting

● This is a painting done by rural women in Mithila region of Bihar state.
● It is also known as 'Mithila painting'.
● Earlier these paintings were originally made on the walls and floors of the house. But
now they are also made on textiles and handmade paper.
● Depictions of births, marriages, festivals, Kali-puja, Durga Puja and Upanayana rites
are prominent in these paintings.
● Natural colors are still used in paintings.
● These painting are two-dimensional;
● This painting got Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

(2) Pattachitra
● This is a traditional painting of Odisha.
● This art is a mixture of classical and folk paintings.
● Jagannath and Vaishnavism are its main theme.
● The painting is made mostly on clothes.

(3) Patua Art

 It is about a thousand years old painting of Bengal.
 They were traditionally painted on clothes.
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 Their main theme was to describe the stories in sacred poetries and the auspicious
stories of the god-goddess. Painters used to go to villages to narrate these stories.

(4) Patkar Painting

● These are the paintings made by the tribal of Jharkhand.
● What happens to humans after death has been the main theme of these paintings.
● Now this art is on the verge of extinction.

(5) Kalamkari painting

● Here, Kalam means pen. These paintings are made with pens made of pointed
bamboo.
● These paintings are popular in Kalahasti and Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
● Most of the paintings are made on theme of Hindu mythological stories.

(6) Warli Paintings:

● A community residing on the Gujarat-Maharashtra border is called Warlis. These
paintings are named after this community.
● This is basically ritualistic painting.
● These paintings are made on the basis of triangle, circle and square. These paintings
are basically inspired by nature.

(7) Thangka Painting:

● This is a painting of Sikkim.
● Its themes are taken from the supreme principles of Buddhism.
● These paintings are made on white colored cotton cloth. The painting is then coated
with a colorful silk embroidered cloth.

(8) Manjusha Painting

● It is related to Bhagalpur region of Bihar.
● Since these paintings always have the presence of a Nag (snake), it is also called a
'Nag painting'.
● These paintings are made on jute and paper cartons.
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