Different styles of painting

Pala Painting Style

• The clear influence of the development of painting in Bihar comes from the reign of the Pala dynasty.
• In addition to the of manuscripts, examples of painting on the walls can be seen in this era.
• Such painted manuscripts are done on palm leaves. The best examples of this are the Ashtasahasrik Prajnaparamit and the Pancharaksha, both preserved in the Cambridge University Museum.
• Apart from scenes from the life of Buddha, various Buddhist deities worshiped in the Mahayana tradition have been depicted in the Pala era painting.
• The skill of the artists is evident in the making of these illustrations and they can be said to be one of the finest examples of illustrated manuscripts in the world.
• Another example of Pala painting has been found in the form of a wall panting from the Sarai site in Nalanda district. On the lower part of a large platform made of granite stone, there are some geometrical shapes, floral shapes and depiction of humans and animals, Elephant, horse, dancer, Bodhisattva and Jambhala are prominent among them. The influence of the style of Ajanta and Bagh cave paintings is visible on the style of these paintings.

Patna Kalam Style

• After the decline of the Mughal Empire, due to lack of patronage of the emperor, the painters started migrating to other areas. In the new places, they did not get patronage like the Mughal rulers, but definitely got facilities for living and protection to develop and promote the painting of the states.
• In the 1760s, the fugitive painters returned to the then capital ‘Pataliputra’ (today’s Patna).
• The painters settled in Lodi Katra, Mughalpura, Diwan Mohalla, Machharhatta and Nityanand Ka Kuan area of the capital while some painters settled in Arrah and Danapur and originated this painting style called ‘Patna style’ or ‘Patna Kalam’.
• The painters of ‘Patna Kalam’ could not get those means for their painting, which were accessible to them in the Delhi court. That is why, by abandoning the use of Mughal facilities such as hair and feathers of animals and birds, mineral colors, gold-work and elephant teeth, they not only made a radical change in the means but also the subject of the paintings.
• The Patna Kalam style was the first independent art form to depict common people and their lives on canvas.
• This style, based on water color, started around 1760 AD in the Mughal court and the British court.
• It was started by Nohar and Manohar, two artists in the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
• Later, his disciples came to Patna and did many experiments in this style and created artworks about the lifestyle of common people.
• This style developed rapidly and its fame spread all around. There were three schools of painting in the middle of the eighteenth century – the Mughal, the Anglo-Indian and the Pahari. But Patna Kalam quickly made a place among all of them.
• The Patna style later came to be known as the Indo-British style. Generally, in this style, the painters gave importance to special persons, festivals, and animals.

• In this style, the work of painting and coloring was done with the help of brush. Mostly dark brown, dark red, light yellow and dark blue colors have been used.
• Sevak Ram (1770-1830) is the first name among the important painters of Patna Kalam. Hulas Lal, Jairam Das, Shivdayal Lal etc. are other prominent painters of this style. Since most of the painters of this style are men, it is also called the ‘painting style of men’.
• In the post-Mughal period, ivory painting in the Patna style flourished and became very famous.
• Lal Chandra and Gopal Chandra were the two famous painters who were given a place by Maharaja Ishwari Narayan Singh of Banaras.
• By the end of the British period, this style also almost came to an end. Shyamalanand and Radhamohan Prasad were important artists of this style.
• Radha Mohan Prasad laid the foundation of ‘Patna Art College’ which has been a major center of art activities in the country for several decades.
• Ishwari Prasad Verma was the last painter of the Patna Kalam style in India. Ishwari Prasad died in the year 1949 and with him the Patna Kalam style also ended. More than fifty of his works can be seen in Patna Art College.
• The most important paintings in Patna Kalam are- ‘Gandhari Chitra’ made by Mahadev Lal, ‘Painting based on Ragini Todi’ made by Madholal, ‘Painting based on Ragini Todi’ made by Shivlal, ‘Drinking of Begums’ painted by Yamuna Prasad etc.

Madhubani Painting Style

• This is basically the folk painting style of Mithilanchal.
• Women have played an important role in the development of this folk art.
• The first evidence of the Madhubani painting style is found in Kirtipataka, a work of Maithili poet Vidyapati.
• There are three types of Madhubani painting style- 1. Wall painting, 2. Aripan and 3. Pattachitra.

1. Wall painting: There are three forms of wall painting-
2. i) Decoration of Gosauni Room: The pictures for the decoration of the of Gosauni house are of religious importance. The main contribution of Brahmin and Kayastha families is in the development of this art. In religious depiction, there is more depiction of Gods and Goddesses like-Durga, Radha-Krishna, Sita-Ram, Shiva-Parvati, Vishnu-Lakshmi, Dashavatar, Saraswati etc. These depictions of deities are indicative of folk tradition.
3. ii) Decoration of Kohbar Room: The pictures made inside and outside the Kohbar room are of erotic nature. The pictures of Rati and Kamdev are made outside the Kohbar room and the shape of male and female reproductive organs are made inside.

iii) Decoration of Koniya of Kohbar Room: Under this, pictures of Yakshini are made at all four corners of Kohbar room. Along with this, the painting of trees, plants and animals and birds is done in symbolic form, such as-

• Banana – as a symbol of musculature,
• Fish – as a symbol of sexual arousal,
• Lion – as a symbol of power,
• Suga/parrot – as a symbol of the Kama,
• Elephant-horse – as a symbol of Aishwarya,
• Bamboo – as a symbol of procreation,
• The lotus leaf – as a symbol of the female reproductive organ,
• Swan and peacock – as symbols of calmess,
• Sun and Moon – as a symbol of longevity

2. Aripan (Bhoomichitran): This tradition has been going on from generation to generation by women in the form of Alpana in Bengal and Aripan in Mithila. These are pictures made on the ground in front of the courtyard or door frame, which are based on the essence of 18 Puranas and other scriptures. Arva rice water and color mixed with it are used to make these paintings. There are five categories of these pictures.
3. Pictures of humans, animals and birds
4. Pictures of flowers, trees and fruits
5. Pictures based on tantric symbols
6. Pictures of deities and
7. Pictures of Deep-Swastik etc.

Different forms of Aripan are prevalent in the context related to different occasions, which are integrally associated with various festivals, rituals, marriages, sacrificial and religious occasions like folk-tales.

• On the occasion of Tulsi Puja: Geometrical shapes, especially triangular and rectangular shapes are used more in the aripanas made for unmarried girls on this occasion.
• On the occasion of marriages and festivals: In the Aripan made on this occasion, the shape of different leaves is most by used.

3. Pattachitra: Pattachitras also have their own importance in Madhubani painting, which have been developed from ancient Indian painting and Pattachitrakala of Nepal-Pattachitras are mainly made on small pieces of cloth and paper.

Features of Madhubani Painting Style

• In the paintings of Madhubani style, the objects depicted are given a symbolic form. For example, if a picture of a bird is to be made, then its shape is made such that it is known that it is a bird. If a person’s portrait is to be made, then instead of paying attention to his physical beauty and fitness, the business, qualities and philosophical aspects of the man or woman are depicted with precision.
• Paintings are made mainly on the walls. But recently the trend of painting on cloth and paper has also increased. The main reason for this is the business concern.
• In this art from, pictures are made with fingers or with a bamboo brush. The high flight of folk-imagination, deep emotional attachment to art and the use of beautiful natural colors provide special attraction in the paintings.
• The uniqueness of colors is an important aspect of this style. Even now this painting is made with in natural colors. The main colors used in this are-green, yellow, red, blue, black, saffron, orange, purple etc.
• Natural dyes are made in the following manner:-
• Black colour– made by burning kajal and barley
• Yellow colour – made by mixing milk of lime and plum leaves.
• Orange colour-made from palash flowers.
• Red colour– made from safflower flowers or mulberry flowers.
• Green colour-made from seem leaves.
• White colour-made from rice and urad dal.
• The adjustment of colors in the depication is noteworthy. Yellow color is used for earth, white color for water, red color for fire, black color for air and blue color for sky.
• The paintings of this style are currently painted on the outer and inner walls of various railway stations in Bihar. Apart from this, paintings of this style have also been engraved on the main walls of Patna city and on the Ganga River Front.
• Former Union Minister late Lalit Narayan Mishra has a major contribution in making Madhubani painting famous at the national and international level.
• About 95% of the painters of this style are women. That is why it is called the painting art of women. Nevertheless, painters like Narendra Kumar Karna, Arun Kumar Yadav and Shivan Paswan etc. have made important efforts in propagation of this art form.
• Presently well-known state-level and national award-winning female painters are- Bhagwati Devi, Mahasundari Devi (Padma Shri 2010), Yamuna Devi, Ms. Durga, Baua Devi, Shanti Devi, Godavari Dutt, Bhula Devi, Bhuma Devi, Hira Devi, Mudrika Devi, Neelu Yadav, Bharti Dayal, Janki Devi, Tripura Devi, Shyama Devi, Chandrakala Devi and Karpuri Devi etc.
• The famous paintings of Madhubani style are inscribed in the Swarnajayanti Janta Express train coaches, at the entrance of Parliament House in the capital Delhi, at Patna Railway Station, Patna Ganga River-front and on the walls of Madhubani Railway Station.
• In the field of Mithila painting, Baua Devi was awarded the Padmashri Award in 2017. Baua Devi is a resident of Jitwarpur village in Madhubani district of Bihar.
• Famous artist of Madhubani painting Dulari Devi was honored with the Padmashri Award in 2021.

Manjusa Style

• In Bihar’s Bhagalpur region (Anga), the pictures described in the folk tales of Bihula-Vishhari popular in the region, are painted by the Kuchis on temple-like Manjusa made of Sanai wood.
• In this style only the left side of the characters are depicted. Chakravarti Devi is the main proponent of this style.
• Paintings in this style have been painted on the coaches of the Vikramshila Express train.

Jadopatiya Painting

• This painting is of folk style based on the myth of the Santhal society which is inspired by the ancient painting tradition of India.
• In Jadopatiya painting, Jado means painter and Patiya means piece of paper or cloth.
• The one who makes these paintings is called ‘Jado’ in Santhali language. This art illustration is their hereditary occupation, but now its popularity is dying out.
• This painting is usually made on small cloths or boards made by joining pieces of paper.
• Each pat is 15 to 20 feet wide on which four to sixteen images are made. Red, green, yellow, brown and black colors are mainly used in this painting.

Thanka Painting

• Thanka style of painting is not a painting style of Bihar but it is basically Tibetan painting style. Since the Buddha style of painting originated in Bihar and the ideas generated for art at that time were sent from here to different parts of the world, this style of painting is also considered a painting style of Bihar.
• 109 pictures of Thanka painting style collected by Rahul Sankrityayan are preserved in a part of Patna Museum. This picture style, which takes its main narrative subject from the Jataka tales, Buddha’s sermons, the lives of Indian masters and Tibetan saints, is related to the pat and mandala religious painting style.
• In these pictures, the description of following subjects has been touched -Divyala, Abhidharmopedesh, Dharmapala, Antahprakriti and Mandal. The color combination is considered very important in these paintings.

Sanjhi Art Style

• This painting style of Braj region of Uttar Pradesh is prevalent in Patna and its border areas for about 60 years.
• This style is also known as Alpana, Rangoli and Aripan.
• Art critics do not consider it as an art style but consider it as an art only.