INDIA'S ART-FILLED CANVAS

HELLO! journeys into the timeless traditions of Tanjore. Pichwai and miniature art – symbols of centuries of creativity that stand the test of time in India's cultural heritage

- REWATI RAJU

Somewhere in the hills of Himachal Pradesh, 63-year-old Anil Raina is a reminder of the region's glorious artistic past — he's the only living descendant of the original painters from the Kangra or Pahari school of miniature art.

He holds on to the stories of his legacy as firmly as he does the artworks in his aging steel cupboard. With a brush made of squirrel hair and paints derived from dried flowers, Anil tirelessly keeps alive the skills he's learnt from his forefathers.

Away from the humdrum of the big cities, descendants of India's heritage artists are quietly carrying forward the legacy of their families. Be it the Pichwais in Nathdwara's Chitrakar ki Gali, Thanjavur's Tanjore artists, or Kishangarh's miniature artists. Beyond art enthusiasts in India, they're grabbing attention the world over.

A majority of India's heritage art forms began as expressions of worship. They evolved into fine visual representations that showcase exceptional craftsmanship and artistry. Today, aeons later, heritage Indian arts are having quite a moment.

Two Pahari miniature paintings — one by legendary 18th-century Kangra artist Nainsukh and the other by an unknown descendant — fetched a record Rs 31 crore at an auction in Mumbai in December 2024. In March 2022, Christie's New York sold a 1775 painting from a Ramayana series by miniature artists from Himachal for US$2,016,000. The record sale was not merely a marker of artistic value but of cultural endurance. So it’s fitting that Kangra miniature art — one of the many creative traditions that have enriched India’s cultural vocabulary — received the GI tag in 2012.