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Kishangarh Miniatures - In Quest Of Divine Love
Flawless artistry, rare zeal, spiritual yearning
and eternal love and devotion combine in the sublime mysticism of the
Kishangarh school of art.
It was by sheer chance
that is 1952 Prof. Eric Dickinson discovered the Kishangarh
miniatures, wrapped in a dusty basta and dumped in an inconspicuous
place in the fort of this small state capital. Instinctively
Dickinson realized that he had hit the virtual eldorado of the most
magnificent miniatures. The similarity of their style –
elongated figures, lavish green landscape topped by a glorious
horizon aglow in crimson hues of the setting sun evidenced a
concentrated period of artistic production. These were the divine
lovers – Radha and Krishna. Dickinson wrote: “The world of
everyday was blotted out as deeper and still more deep I was drawn
into that strange exotic paradise of the followers of Vallabha, the
devotees of the Radha-Krishna cult.” Art lovers and
connoisseurs acclaimed the unique charm of Kishangarh miniatures and
their inimitable perfection.
During the brief
span of twenty years between 1737-1757 the Kishangarh art was at its
zenith. Crown prince Savant Singh (1699-1764) was the guiding force
behind the strong devotional fervour at the court and a rejuvenation
of painting suffuse with the spiritual yearning of a soul in quest of
the Lord. His father Raj Singh was an enlightened ruler and
patronized arts and music but only within limits of the royal
etiquette. With Savant Singh, however, bhakti
became an increasing obsession till he became completely indifferent
to his princely status. He wrote devotional poetry under the name of
Nagari Das. His hero was Krishna. Not that Savant Singh was not a
brave Rajput. He had controlled a mad elephant at the tender age of
10. At 13 he had rallied his forces in support of the Mughal King
Farrukhsiyar in Delhi. At 20 he single handedly killed a lion. But
his heart was not in it.
This brave Rajput
prince, with aesthetic and religious inclinations, fell in love with
his step mother’s slave girl, a gayana
(singer) called Bani Thani known for her exquisite elegance and
enchanting youth. She reciprocated his love. She also wrote verse.
Savant Singh eulogized Radha in thinly veiled allusions to Bani
Thani, celebrating “her queenly smile, lips red as poppy flowers
growing, in the scorching sun of June’s long stagnant
afternoon.” Their mutual attraction overcame the difference of
18 years between the poet-prince and his beloved
During the early
stages of his fondness for Bani Thani, Savant Singh had drawn her
face from memory as a rough sketch for his favourite painter Nihal
Chand to paint. When completed, this face became the legendary face
of the Kishangarh Radha, the quintessence of Indian woman-hood and
grace, inaugurating a new style in Kishangarh miniatures. It is an
elongated face with a high forehead, arched eye brows, half-open
lotus eyes, sharp pointed nose, thin curved but extremely sensuous
lips and a pointed chin over a long narrow neck. The grandeur of
jewellery adds to the magnificence of a transparent odhni
(head covering). The curl of the hair around the ear contributes
mystique to the enthralling charm of the portrait. The modelling of
the two hands – beautifully lacquered finger tips, left hand
holding two lotus buds and the right hand holding the border of the
dress for a perfect framing of the profile. The rows of pearls on
the swelling breast, the saucy nose ring, tikka
and the splendid pearl and diamond pendant on the ear bespeak of the
royal lineage. The long, dark flowing tresses provide the truly
oriental touch of eternal feminine grace. This portrait of Radha
vies for comparison with Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece ‘Mona
Lisa’. Doubtless Bani Thani was the living inspiration for this
portrait which is the most remarkable gem of the Kishangarh
miniatures. It has, as Benjamin Rowland observes “the fragile
elegance and a wan, neurasthenic refinement that echo the beauty of
the ancient Egyptian queen.”
In due course the
inevitable followed. Savant Singh withdrew himself completely from
the affairs of the state and his whole life centered around love of
the Lord, writing and singing bhajans,
a whole-hearted pursuit of spiritual values. Bani Thani supported
him with no qualms. Nihal Chand painted with a rare zeal, acumen and
flawless artistry, the loves of Radha and Krishna reflecting his
royal master and his consort.
Kishangarh atelier had
functioned since the founding of the state in 1609 by Kishan Singh, a
Jodhpur prince. It attained a certain identity of its own under Man
Singh (1658-1709) and later Raj Singh (1706-1748) though mostly the
subjects painted were hunting scenes, darbar and portraits –
favourite themes of the royalty. The Mughal influence on miniatures
was thwarted by the growing bhakti cult which now emphasized
the love of Radha and Krishna. Savant Singh’s introduction to
the Mughal magnificence appeared in the new feature-elongation of
human figures and long flowing jama. Musavir Bhawani Das was
a well known painter at the court in 1722 but Nihal Chand eclipsed
all his contemporaries at Kishangarh. Occasionally one finds the
names of later artists mentioned – Amar Chand and his son Megh
Raj, Kalyan Das, Amru, Suraj Mal, Nanag Ram and Surat Ram. None,
however, could match the perfection of Nihal Chand’s work under
Savant Singh’s guidance done during the years 1737-1757. Though
Kishangarh patronized miniature painters for a hundred years after
Savant Singh’s death in 1764, the magic and transcendental
fervour of these great years could never be recaptured. Even Nihal
Chand’s later work, illustrations to Shahnama look
laboured and jaded. The visionary gleam and glory had deserted the
scene. The forces of decline had set in.
‘Boat of Love’
is the most representative of the great Kishangarh miniatures. It
illustrates a verse from Bihari Chandrika by the poet prince:
“And when the sun was setting in the west, the lovers sailed
along the Jamuna stream/To music form the sakhis mingling with the
murmuring of each wavelet’s crest/And the dipping of a single
oar. By lotus banks the canoe its burden bore/Past marble palaces and
temples gleaming white and low green hills athwart a crimson
sky/Betimes its keel caressed the shore where rose a kunj of beauty
unsurpassed/Half clad with lengthening shadows of the night. And as
he aided her alight/He held her deep into the darkling grove where
love alone can find its way/And naught can mar this bliss till dawn
of beauteous limbs entwined.” The gorgeous crimson sky of the
evening provided the most magnificent and dramatic backdrop to the
enactment of a divine romance. In the upper part of the painting the
Lord sits in company of his consort and attendant maidens. The
majestic river flows below the majestic white palaces and city. Then
the boat carrying Radha and Krishna and the eight sakhis along
the banks lined with lotus flowers in the full bloom. In the lowest
portion of the painting the divine lovers stand under a tree.
Krishna holds aloft a garland of flowers and Radha is coy. It is a
moment of eternal love. The time lag suggested in the three portions
has been ingeniously depicted! ‘Boat of Love’ is the
greatest of the famous Kishangarh miniatures, an example of rarest
perfection in the minutest details. The jeweled turban of the Lord,
the jama, the marble pavilions, foliage, lush green
vegetation, the red boat and the crimson sky. The garland of flowers
is, in fact the garland of desire, and quite symbolically, the divine
lover appears sans the halo around his head.
The portrait of the young
prince at worship establishes the identity of his consort beyond
doubt. It is the same face of Radha, the elegant walk of loveliness.
It also provides the fleeting view of the zenana. Playful monkeys on
the wall add a charm of domestic realism. ‘The Red Canoe’
depicts Radha and Krishna. Krishna appears a bit to regal in his
magnificent ropes of pearls around his neck and the jewel turban. As
he offers attar (perfume) to his beloved, the shield and the
sword lying at hand reveal his true identity. The red canoe and the
two idle boatmen are in waiting but the tryst has already been
discovered by two older women as they watch from behind the bushes.
‘The Pavilion in the Grove’ is another exquisite miniature.
It captures a precious moment of love, watched by the eight maidens
in attendance. The marble pavilion, however, shows an explicit
Mughal influence. It is more of Shahjahan’s palace garden than
a Rajput setting. ‘Krishna Holding Radha’s Scarf’
depicts a lover’s unabashed invitation to bed on a hot summer
evening under a star studded sky and half moon. This picture
illustrates a verse by Bani Thani – ‘Rasika Bihari ke
Bada’, done by Sita Ram, a direct descendant of Nihal Chand.
The two most beautiful
compositions of Nihal Chand are ‘Sanjh Lila’ and
‘Dipavalika’. The former depicts Krishna disguised as
Radha enjoying a game with his lovely playmates. The crimson sky
over the lush foliage looks most spectacular. ‘Dipavalika’
shows the celebration of Diwali, the divine lovers sitting on a
terrace projecting over water. Adding a touch of festivity to the
scene are rows of hand held sparklers and a dancing maiden at the
centre. It is a grand picture accomplished by the genius strokes of
Nihal Chand.
Amongst the better known
miniatures belonging to the pre-Nihal Chand era, the best known is
the portrait of Raja Bahas Mal, famous for his skill at falconry. He
stands erect in his majestic stateliness, surrounded by his men
displaying the day’s gains – wild duck, geese and bustard.
The city and the vagrant water courses add charm to the composition
and the lovely miniature ‘A Kishangarh Printing Riding a
Spirited Horse’, circa 1740. The white horses have red painted
legs in all miniatures just as certainly as the red boat for the
divine lovers. The post-Nihal Chand era also produced some brilliant
miniatures. ‘A Moonlit Music Party’, painted by Amar Chand
in C. 1760-66 shows Sardar Singh at his Roop Nagar Palace and also
figures Nihal Chand, the portly person sitting next to the blue
turbaned falconer. However, Nihal Chand’s ‘The Moonlit
Party’ depicting Radha-Krishna is a much better composition.
‘Rukmini Haran’ C. 1760 is a high key composition,
reminiscent of the court paintings of Shahjahan. Only prominent
faces have been colored. Krishna, dressed as a Rajput prince rides a
white horse of the Marwar breed with its curiously upright ears. The
architectural details have been meticulously done in lines. The Gita
Govinda illustration done in C. 1820 shows a mellowing of facial
features which are no longer I profiles and elongated, the sharp
pointed noses and chins have disappeared. The emerald coloured mound
shows a Persian and Mughal influence and rows of stylized trees add
to seclusion essential for the mood.
Some other better known
pictures illustrating the characteristic features of Kishangarh
miniatures are: ‘Toilet of Radha’ C. 1755, ‘Radha
Seated on a Terrace’ C. 750, ‘A Kishangarh Prince Hunting a
Black Buck’ C. 1760, and ‘Krishna with his Magic Flute’
(late 18th century). The city of white pavilions painted
in the background in most of these miniatures is an imaginary
reconstruction of Brindavan, the playground for Radha and Krishna.
The post-Nihal Chand era
miniatures are still brilliant but clearly the magical effect of the
lotus-filled Gundalao lake lying below the Kishangarh fort, featuring
in most of the great pictures drawn by Nihal Chand is absent. Maybe
it had a lot to do with the decline of the devotional fervour since
“if one withdraws the mystical element hovering alike: over
silent forest groves and marble palaces, there is left only a lover
and his lass; for the divine bridegroom and his bride would have
vanished from our ken.” The sublime mysticism of the divine
lovers has slipped into an erotic playacting.
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