What is Pahari painting?
Pahari means "of the hills". From the late 1600s to the mid-1800s, many small kingdoms in the foothills of the western Himalaya, such as Basohli, Jammu, Jasrota, Guler, Kangra, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu and Garhwal, kept court painters.
- Paintings were small, on paper, kept in sets inside cloth bundles and shown on special days.
- Favourite themes: Krishna and Radha (Gita Govinda, Bhagavata Purana), Rasamanjari (poems about lovers), Ragamala, Ramayana, Shiva and Parvati, and portraits of local kings.
- Two main styles: early Basohli (bold) and later Kangra (soft), with Guler as the bridge.
Basohli style (late 17th to early 18th century)
- Bold, flat colours: red, yellow, deep blue, often a plain yellow or green background.
- Red borders around the picture.
- Faces: sloping forehead in line with the nose, very big lotus-shaped eyes, strong expression.
- Beetle-wing pieces: bits of shiny green beetle wings stuck on to look like emerald jewellery.
- Simple architecture and stylised trees.
Works: the Rasamanjari set by Devidasa (1694), and a Gita Govinda set (1730) by Manaku, including scenes of Krishna with Gopis.
The Guler family: Manaku and Nainsukh
Pandit Seu of Guler was a painter. His sons Manaku (Manku) and Nainsukh became great masters.
- Manaku kept close to the bold Basohli tradition, with strong colour and drama.
- Nainsukh learned from Mughal-style naturalism. He worked for Raja Balwant Singh of Jasrota and painted him in daily life: listening to music, having a shave, writing a letter, watching dancers. His work is calm, true to life, with soft colours and lots of empty space.
- The sons and nephews of Manaku and Nainsukh carried this family style to Kangra and other courts, creating the Guler-Kangra style.
Kangra style (late 18th to 19th century)
Kangra painting peaked under Raja Sansar Chand (ruled 1775โ1823).
- Soft, cool colours: light greens, pinks, blues.
- Graceful figures: slim women with oval faces, a straight nose and gentle eyes.
- Nature with feeling: rivers, rolling hills, flowering trees, rain clouds, lightning and moonlight show the mood of love and longing.
- Fine, flowing lines; borders often dark blue or pink with gold.
- Works: sets of the Gita Govinda, Bhagavata Purana (such as Nand, Yashoda and Krishna with Kinsmen Going to Vrindavan), Bihari Satsai, and Ragamala pictures like Raga Megha.
Try it
Draw the same face twice. First, Basohli: one flat bright colour, a thick red frame, a very big eye. Then Kangra: pale colours, a thin line, a small natural eye, and a tree behind. Which one feels louder?
Key formulas and definitions
- Key terms: Pahari = of the hills; Rasamanjari = poems about lovers
- Basohli = bold flat colours, red border, big lotus eye, beetle-wing shine
- Kangra = soft colours, graceful figures, rich nature, moonlight
- Guler family: Pandit Seu โ Manaku and Nainsukh โ Kangra painters
Worked examples
1. A painting has a thick red border, a flat yellow background and a face with a huge lotus eye. Which school?
Basohli: bold flat colours, red border and large eyes are its marks.
2. A painting shows Radha waiting under a flowering tree by a river at night, in soft greens and pinks. Which school?
Kangra: soft colours, graceful figures and nature that shows feeling.
3. Why is Nainsukh important?
He brought calm, true-to-life drawing into Pahari painting through his pictures of Raja Balwant Singh of Jasrota, and his family helped create the Kangra style.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up Pahari and Rajasthani. Pahari is from hill courts of the Himalayan foothills; Rajasthani is from the plains of Rajasthan.
- Saying Kangra uses bold, flat red and yellow. That is Basohli; Kangra is soft.
- Thinking Manaku and Nainsukh were rivals from different places. They were brothers, sons of Pandit Seu of Guler.
- Thinking beetle wings were painted. They were real shiny wing pieces stuck onto the paper.