Shimla: With a motive to revive the dying art form of Kangra miniature paintings, Himachal Pradesh University is slated to start a two-year post graduate degree of masters of fine arts in miniature paintings from next academic year.
The announcement was made by HPU’s Visual Art Department Chairperson Him Chatterjee.
Mr. Chatterjee said “the University in collaboration with the Integrated Institute of Himalayan Studies (IIHS) will begin a two-year program of masters of fine arts in miniature paintings from next academic year.”
“The objective of the program will be to preserve the dying art of Kangra miniature paintings in Himachal and to make the youth aware of the art form”, he added.
A proposal to provide funds for the course was sent to the University Grants Commission by HPU and IIHS. UGC has agreed to provide the requisite funds and the academic council in the state has approved the two-year PG degree course which will begin from next academic year.
Kangra miniature paintings originated in Guler in Kangra in first half of the 18th century and later spread to other parts of the state. It was at this time that Kashmiri painters trained in Mughal painting styles took shelter with Raja Dulip Singh of Guler. The artists mingled with the local artists and instead of painting the regular Mughal-style paintings adapted the theme of love between Radha and Krishan.
The Kangra paintings is an art of drawing precise, fluid and lyrically natural paintings. It is an art form which is considered as one of the finest gifts of India to the art-world, a reason many eminent painters, poets and litterateurs have been influenced by the art form.
Kangra paintings have a striking distinction, the paintings are full of greenery, a great attention is paid to details of the painting and the paintings are made with colors made from vegetables and other mineral extracts.
At present, an NGO in Dharamsala, Kangra – the Kangra Arts Promotion Society is the only organization working in the direction of preserving this dying art from. For its preservation, the NGO is running a school to train children in this rare and effective art form.
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