Rajasthani Art
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Apart from the
architecture of Rajasthan The architecture of the Indian state of Rajasthan has usually been a regional variant of the style of Indian architecture prevailing in north India at the time. Rajasthan is especially notable for the forts and palaces of the many Rajput ruler ...
, the most notable forms of the visual art of Rajasthan are architectural sculpture on Hindu and
Jain temple A Jain temple, Derasar (Gujarati: દેરાસર) or Basadi (Kannada: ಬಸದಿ) is the place of worship for Jains, the followers of Jainism. Jain architecture is essentially restricted to temples and monasteries, and Jain buildings ge ...
s in the medieval era, in painting illustrations to religious texts, beginning in the late medieval period, and post-Mughal miniature painting in the
Early Modern period The early modern period is a Periodization, historical period that is defined either as part of or as immediately preceding the modern period, with divisions based primarily on the history of Europe and the broader concept of modernity. There i ...
, where various different court schools developed, together known as Rajput painting. In both cases,
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
i art had many similarities to that of the neighbouring region of
Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
, the two forming most of the region of "Western India", where artistic styles often developed together.


Architecture

The architecture of Rajasthan has usually been a regional variant of the style of
Indian architecture Indian architecture is rooted in the History of India, history, Culture of India, culture, and Indian religions, religion of India. Among several architectural styles and traditions, the best-known include the many varieties of Hindu temple a ...
prevailing in north India at the time. Rajasthan is especially notable for the forts and palaces of the many
Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
rulers, which are popular tourist attractions. Most of the population of Rajasthan is
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, and there has historically been a considerable Jain minority; this mixture is reflected in the many temples of the region. Māru-Gurjara architecture, or "Solaṅkī style" is a distinctive style that began in Rajasthan and neighbouring
Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
around the 11th century, and has been revived and taken to other parts of India and the world by both Hindus and Jains. This represents the main contribution of the region to
Hindu temple architecture Hindu temple architecture as the main form of Hindu architecture has many different styles, though the basic nature of the Hindu temple remains the same, with the essential feature an inner sanctum, the ''Garbhagriha, garbha griha'' or womb-ch ...
. The Dilwara Jain Temples of
Mount Abu Mount Abu (), known as Arbudgiri in Jain tradition, is a hill station in the Aravalli Range in the Sirohi district of the state of Rajasthan in western India. Here, the mountain forms a rocky plateau 22 km long by 9 km wide. It is ref ...
built between the 11th and 13th centuries CE are the best-known examples of the style. The Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra mosque in
Ajmer Ajmer () is a city in the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ajmer district and Ajmer division. It lies at the centre of Rajasthan, earning it the ...
(no longer in religious use) is an important early example of Indo-Islamic architecture in a state not otherwise notable for this; though the
Ajmer Sharif Dargah The Shrine of Mu'in al-Din Chishti, also known as the Ajmer Dargah Shareef, is a Sufism, Sufi dargah complex incorporating the Sufi shrine, shrine of Mu'in al-Din Chishti, several tombs, and a mosque, located at Ajmer, in the state of Rajasthan ...
is another early building. However, there is considerable influence from
Mughal architecture Mughal architecture is the style of architecture developed in the Mughal Empire in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries throughout the ever-changing extent of their empire in the Indian subcontinent. It developed from the architectural styles of ea ...
in palaces and houses, and Rajasthan has some claim to have sent influence back in elements like the '' jharokha'' enclosed balcony and ''
chhatri ''Chhatri'' are semi-open, elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indo-Islamic architecture and Indian architecture. They are most commonly square, octagonal, and round. Originating as a canopy above tombs, they largely ser ...
'' open pavilions.


Monumental sculpture

Māru-Gurjara architecture, or the "Solaṅkī style" features large amounts of sculpture, with the emphasis usually on great numbers of small, sharply-carved figures, rather than larger single figures or groups. These include friezes with repeated figures of animals, sometimes with human riders, running around the bases of temples. File:Ambika-Tempel (Jagat)3.jpg,
Durga Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...
on the Ambika Mata temple in Jagat, by 960 File:Sun Temple, Modhera Gudhamandapa with annotation of exterior mouldings.jpg, Wall below the shikhara,
Sun Temple, Modhera The Sun Temple of Modhera is a Hindu temple dedicated to the solar deity Surya located at Modhera village of Mehsana district, Gujarat, India. It is situated on the bank of the river Pushpavati. It was built after 1026-27 CE during the reig ...
, 1020s File:The Kiradu Temples in perspective (cropped).jpg, Kiradu temples File:Temple de Shanthinath.jpg, Detail of the Jain
Kirti Stambha Kirti Stambha is a 12th-century tower situated at Chittor Fort in Chittorgarh town of Rajasthan, India. History Chittor has a history going back several centuries. It was an ancient centre of Jain tradition. Chittor is adjacent to the an ...
tower,
Chittor Fort Chittorgarh (literally Chittor Fort), also known as Chittod Fort, is one of the largest forts in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort was the capital of Mewar and is located in the present-day city of Chittorgarh. It sprawls ove ...


Medieval painting

Jain temples and monasteries had mural paintings from at least 2,000 years ago, though pre-medieval survivals are rare. In addition, many Jain manuscripts were illustrated with paintings, sometimes lavishly so. In both these cases, Jain art parallels Hindu art, but the Jain examples are more numerous among the earliest survivals. The manuscripts begin around the 11th century, but are mostly from the 13th onwards, and were made mainly in Gujarat, with some in Rajasthan. By the 15th-century they were becoming increasingly lavish, with much use of gold. The manuscript text most frequently illustrated is the ''
Kalpa Sūtra The ''Kalpa Sūtra'' () is a Jain text containing the biographies of the Jain Tirthankaras, notably Parshvanatha and Mahavira. Traditionally ascribed to Bhadrabahu, which would place it in the 4th century BCE, it was probably put in writing ...
'', containing the biographies of the
Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (; ) is a saviour and supreme preacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a ''Tirtha (Jainism), tirtha'', a fordable passage across ''Saṃsā ...
s, notably Parshvanatha and
Mahavira Mahavira (Devanagari: महावीर, ), also known as Vardhamana (Devanagari: वर्धमान, ), was the 24th ''Tirthankara'' (Supreme Preacher and Ford Maker) of Jainism. Although the dates and most historical details of his lif ...
. The illustrations are square-ish panels set in the text, with "wiry drawing" and "brilliant, even jewel-like colour". The figures are always seen in three-quarters view, with distinctive "long pointed noses and protruding eyes". There is a convention whereby the more distant side of the face protrudes, so that both eyes are seen.


Rajput painting

In the late 16th Century, the Rajput courts began to develop distinctive styles of miniature painting, combining indigenous as well as foreign influences such as Persian, Mughal, Chinese and European. Rajasthani painting consists of four principal schools that have within them several artistic styles and substyles that can be traced to the various princely states that patronised these artists. The four principal schools are: # The
Mewar Mewar, also spelled as Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasth ...
school that contains the Chavand,
Nathdwara Nathdwara is a city in the Rajsamand district of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located in the Aravalli hills, on the banks of the Banas River and is 48 kilometres north-east of Udaipur. Shrinathji, is a swarup of lord Krishna whic ...
, Devgarh,
Udaipur Udaipur (Hindi: , ) (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura'') is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, about south of the state capital Jaipur. It serves as the administrative headquarters of Udaipur district. It is the historic capital of t ...
and
Sawar Sowar (, also sawar or siwar meaning "the one who rides" or "rider", from Persian , from the Sasanid Persian Aswār, from the Achaemenid Persian Asabāra) was originally a rank during the Mughal Empire. Later, during the British Raj, it was th ...
styles of painting # The
Marwar Marwar (also called Jodhpur region) is a region of western Rajasthan state in North Western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. 'Maru' is a Sanskrit word for desert. The word 'wad' literally means fence in Rajasthani languages. Engl ...
school comprising the
Kishangarh Kishangarh is a city and a Municipal Council located in the Ajmer district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the historic capital of the Kishangarh State, founded in 1611 AD by Kishan Singh of the Rathore clan of Rajputs. It is served ...
,
Bikaner Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the States and territories of India, state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. It is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Fo ...
,
Jodhpur Jodhpur () is the second-largest city of the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, after its capital Jaipur. As of 2023, the city has a population of 1.83 million. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Jodhpur district and ...
,
Nagaur Nagaur (also Nagor and Nagore) is a city and municipal council in Nagaur district of the state of Rajasthan in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Nagaur District. The Nagaur city lies about midway between Jodhpur and Bikaner. Na ...
,
Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...
and
Ghanerao Ghanerao is a village in Desuri tehsil of Pali district of Rajasthan. The village is located on the Sadri-Desuri road State Highway 16. Due to its proximity to Kumbhalgarh fort, Ranakpur Jain temple and Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, it is a ...
styles # The
Hadoti Hadoti is a region of Rajasthan state in western India, which was once called the Bundi Kingdom. The biggest cities are Jhalawar and Kota. It includes the districts of Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar and Kota and is bounded on the west by the Me ...
school with the Kota,
Bundi Bundi is a town in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in northwest India. Climate The climate is hot semi arid (BSh), not having enough rainfall to qualify as a tropical savanna climate (Aw). The climate is quite warm, and most of the ra ...
and
Jhalawar Jhalawar () is a city, municipal council and headquarter in Jhalawar district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located in the southeastern part of the state. It was the capital of the former princely state of Jhalawar, and is the admi ...
styles # # The Dhundar school of
Amber Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...
,
Jaipur Jaipur (; , ) is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the List of cities and towns in Rajasthan, largest city of the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had ...
,
Shekhawati Shekhawati is a region in the northern part of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan, comprising the districts of Sikar, Jhunjhunu, and Churu district, Churu. The language of this region is also called Shekhawat ...
and Uniara styles of painting


Phad paintings

Phad painting Phad painting or phad (; IAST: ''Phad'', ) is a style of religious scroll painting and folk painting, practiced in Rajasthan state of India. This style of painting is traditionally done on a long piece of cloth or canvas, known as '. The narra ...
s are colourful scroll paintings done on cloth, originally made to illustrate the performances of narratives by
Bhopa The Bhopa people are the priest-singers of the folk deities in the state of Rajasthan, India. They perform in front of a scroll, known as (''par'' in the Rajasthani language) that depicts the episodes of the narrative of the folk deity and func ...
singer/reciters. These have their own styles and patterns and are very popular due to their vibrant colors and historic themes. The '' Phad of God Devnarayan'' is largest among the popular Pars in Rajasthan. The painted area of God
Devnarayan Devnarayan is a folk deity from Rajasthan, India. He was an incarnation of Vishnu and he is worshipped mostly in Rajasthan and north-western Madhya Pradesh. According to tradition, he was born to Sri Savai Bhoj and Sadu mata on the seventh day ...
Ki Phad is 170 square feet (i.e. 34' x 5'). Some other Pars are also prevalent in Rajasthan, but being of recent origin they are not classical in composition. Another famous Par painting is ''
Pabuji Ki Phad Pabuji Ki Phad is a religious scroll painting of folk deities, which is used for a musical rendition of the only surviving ancient traditional folk art form, Phad painting in the world of the epic of Pabuji, the Rathore (Rajput clan), Rathore Raj ...
''.
Pabuji Pabuji is a Folk religion, folk-deity of Rajasthan in India. Pabuji is worshiped in historical region of Rajputana. The Narrative of Pabuji The narrative of Pabuji is sung by the Bhopa poet-singers of Nayak (caste), Nayak community is based a ...
Ki Phad is painted on a 15 x 5 ft. canvas. Other famous heroes of Phad paintings are ''
Gogaji Gogaji Chauhan, also known as Jahirpeer or Jaharveer Chauhan, is a folk Hindu deity in the northern India. He is worshipped in the northern states of India especially in Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab region, Uttar P ...
'', ''
Prithviraj Chauhan Prithviraja III (IAST: Pṛthvī-rāja; 22 May 1166 – February 1192), popularly known as Prithviraj Chauhan or Rai Pithora, was a king from the Chahamanas of Shakambhari, Chauhan (Chahamana) dynasty who ruled the territory of Sapadalaksha, w ...
'', ''
Amar Singh Rathore Rao Amar Singh (30 December 1613 – 25 July 1644) was the eldest son and heir-apparent of Raja Gaj Singh I of the Rathore Kingdom of Marwar in seventeenth-century Rajputana. After he was disinherited and exiled by his family, he entered int ...
'' etc.Indian Murals and Paintings By Nayanthara S, p 15


Gallery

File:4 Radha (Bani Thani), Kishangarh, ca. 1750, National Museum New Delhi.jpg,
Bani Thani Bani Thani was a singer and poet in Kishangarh in the time of Raja Sawant Singh (1748–1764), whose mistress she became. After he abdicated the throne the couple retired to a comfortable life in Vrindavan, a place associated with the life of Kr ...
painting image:Purushkara Yantra, Rajasthan, 18th century.jpg, Purushkara Yantra, 18th century image:Krishna and Radha dancing the Rasalila, Jaipur, 19th century.jpg,
Radha Krishna Radha-Krishna (IAST , ) is the combined form of the Hindu god Krishna with his chief consort and ''shakti'' Radha. They are regarded as the feminine as well as the masculine realities of God and gender in Hinduism, God, in several Krishnaism, Kr ...
dancing
Raslila The Raslila (), also rendered the Rasalila or the Ras dance, is part of a traditional story described in Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and Gita Govinda, where Krishna dances with Radha and the gopis of Braj. Rasalila has also been a ...
with
Gopi Gopi (, ) or Gopika in Hinduism are commonly referred to the group of milkmaids of Braj. They are regarded as the consorts and devotees of Krishna and are venerated for their unconditional love and devotion (''Bhakti'') to him as described i ...
s, 19th century


Notes


Further reading

* (see index: p. 148-152) *Daljeet (2018).
Rajasthani Miniatures: The Magic of Strokes and Colours
'' Niyogi Books. .


External links



{{DEFAULTSORT:Art Of Rajasthan Rajasthani arts Raj