Pahari School of Painting is actually an umbrella term used for Indian miniature paintings that originated in the lower Himalayan hill kingdoms of North India in the early seventeenth century and thrived until the mid-nineteenth century. ‘Pahar’ means ‘mountain’ in Hindi and Pahari painting literally means ‘a painting from the mountainous regions’. Notable schools of Pahari painting are Kangra, Guler, Mandi, Garhwal, Basohli, Nurpur, Chamba and Mankot. The central theme of Pahari painting is the love between Krishna and Radha, their love adventures and frivolities, but the paintings illustrating Baramasa are also a common motif. The Kangra School is most prolific and also the most popular so the majority of these examples bellow belongs to the Kangra School.
Fig.1 Krishna and Radha Making Love in a Leafy Bower on the Banks of the Yamuna, Kangra or Guler Painting
Fig.2
Rejuvenation
Kangra paintings are known for their soft pastel colors, delicate lines and a detailed portrayal of nature. One thing you will quickly notice after looking at these paintings; it is always spring in Kangra art. Spring is a season of rejuvenation, growth, blossoming, vigour, fertility and vitality, and that is why it is the perfect season for love. The lush surroundings in these paintings echo the flourishing of love and desire between the lovers who are almost always portrayed in the form of Krishna and Radha.
Fig.3 Radha makes love to Krishna in a grove. An illustration to the Rasikapriya of Keshav Das. Kangra, c. 1820. Attributed to Purkhu and his school)
Fig.3a
Fig.4 Painting, Krishna and Radha embracing, gouache on paper, Pahari, probably Mandi, ca. 1820
Fig.4a
Fig.5 Krishna and Radha after their Night of Passion, 1810-20
Fig.5a
Seducing Krishna
The Kangra painting ‘Krishna and Radha Making Love in a Leafy Bower on the Banks of the Yamuna’ (fig.1) is one of my favorite erotic paintings of Krishna and Radha. The divine couple is shown completely naked, except for jewellery, and are making love on a soft bed of fresh leaves, hidden by a bower, while the river Yamuna is flowing peacefully in the background. The sense of harmony is always present in these paintings and the passion between Krishna and Radha is reflected in the blossoming of the nature around them. The painting ‘Radha Makes Love to Krishna in a Grove’ (fig.3) is an illustration to Keshav Das’ poetic work the Rasikapriya and here Radha, dressed in rich and vibrant purple robes, is showing initiative and is seducing Krishna, again in the open air.
Fig.6 Krishna and Radha at the Break of Dawn, Guler or Mandi, Punjab Hills, India, circa 1810)
Fig.6a
In Premium more on the explicit erotic moments between Krishna and Radha in the Kanara miniature paintings, descriptions and images of various miniature paintings, the varying depictions of Krishna and Radha, bare-breasted gopis, two very naughty examples of Radha and Krishna’s passionate moments together, and more.
Click HERE for an article on Vajrayogini’s sexual imagery in Tantric Buddhist art
Let us know your thoughts on Kangra art in the comment box below..!!
