Shiv Kumar Padha
padha.shiv@gmail.com
Basohli is widely known for its royal palace for its unique design and architecture, Ayurveda, astrology, hub of Sanatana, ritualism, music, performing arts, miniature and mural paintings, still out of sight of the Archaeological Department of the country. Basohli is considered the first school of Pahari painting developed in the fourth quarter of the 17th century. The earliest paintings in this style have been dated to the time of Raja Kirpal Pal (1678-93), where Rasmanjari (1695), The Gita Govinda (1730), and Ramayana were prepared for Raja Bhoopender Pal in 1816. A number of centers such as Basohli, Mankot, Chamba, and Nurpur have been producing paintings in the traditional form. The specimens and replicas of the Basohli paintings are showcased in museums spread across the world and have earned a good reputation.
The Rasmanjari series, prepared for Raja Kirpal Pal, is the earliest dated material known from Basohli. Rasmanjari by Bhanu Dutta is a Sanskrit love lyric revolving around the love of Sri Krishna and Radha. At least, paintings with three series of this theme were produced in the hills, which show that the Basohli painters were familiar with the text. According to the information available, three Rasmanjari sets were divided into different groups. Group A is in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Dogra Art Gallery Jammu, SPS Museum Srinagar, and Punjab Museum in Chandigarh. Group B is showcased in Bharat Kala Bhavan in Banaras and the National Museum, Delhi.
Geeta Govinda is one of the greatest achievements of the Basohli School. It was the successful expression of the poetic feeling of the author Jayadeva, the spirit of Vaishnavism, and devotion to Lord Krishna. Geeta Govinda was a series painted in a much more sophisticated manner, differing in color scheme and drawings from the earlier group, showcasing a mature stage of the Basohli style. The text offers a more picturesque background for the love play of Radha and Krishna. It includes scenes from the forest of Vrindavan and on the banks of the river Yamuna. The 1730 Geeta Govinda was not a royal copy, but it was prepared for a noble lady, Malini, by the painter Manku, as stated in the inscription. The inscribed leaf is in the Lahore Museum, Pakistan.
The Ragmala series is scattered in different collections: the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Bharat Kala Bhavan, Varanasi; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and Karl Khandelwala, Bombay. In these paintings, we find that the architectural details have been replaced by open-air scenes. The drapery is less transparent, and heavy shading is avoided. The sky is occasionally shown with vaulted strips.
Mural Paintings
Unlike the world-famous Basohli Chiterkala showcased in renowned museums of the world, the mural paintings have been caught by the lens of the camera after diving deep into the ruins of the compartments of the Basohli palaces. Though the majority of the existing compartments of the royal palace of Basohli are in a dilapidated condition, yet they have not yielded to the turmoils of time and still bear the gorgeous and royal look ever since their construction centuries back.
One French traveler, V.T. Vigne, who visited Basohli between 1835-39, gives an exact account:
“Which I thought the very finest building of the kind seen in the East. Its square turrets, open and embattled parapets, projecting windows, Chinese-roofed balconies, and moat-like tank in front represented a general appearance, which, without entering into specific detail, was sufficient to remind me of some of the most ancient red-brick structures of my own country. When viewed at the distance of a few miles from the path of Jammu, it rises in relief from the dark masses of the lower ranges, with a grandeur that I thought not inferior to that of Heidelberg.”
The present town of Basohli was founded by Raja Bhoopat Pal about three furlongs (a unit of distance) above the river in 1635 AD. As the construction and style of the palace were designed by one of the best architects of that time, Vishwakarma, the town was given the name Vishwasthali, which later changed to the present Basohli. The construction of the palaces started by Raja Bhoopat Pal continued for ten generations.
The successors of Raja Bhoopat Pal, from Kirpal Pal to Raja Mahender Pal, made many additions to the palace. Raja Mahender Pal added the Rang Mahal and Sheesh Mahal to the already existing structure. These new additions were decorated with mural paintings illustrating Nayik and Nayika and other erotic themes like series of Kama Sutra and Kok Shastra. The mural paintings on the walls and the ceilings of the Rang Mahal bedrooms were given themes best suiting them. In addition to the four-sided interior walls of the rooms/compartments of the palace, the ceilings were also painted with beautiful running designs. The dark red, golden yellow, crimson, and turquoise colors give a sensuous feeling and appeal. The mural paintings are both engraved and bulging, which can be sensed by the fingers.
Visitors, especially from Asia, used to visit the Basohli palaces, where they mentioned the mural paintings, grandeur, unique architecture, and beauty of the palaces. The period Raja Mohender Pal ruled Basohli is remembered as a period of peace and prosperity. Raja Mohinder Pal added Rang Mahal and Sheesh Mahal to the palaces built by his ancestors. The visitors from Asian countries who visited the palaces wrote in their travelogues about the grandeur of Basohli palaces and considered them examples of rare design and architecture in the East. In the Rang Mahal, there were a number of mural paintings based upon erotic themes.
From the travelers’ accounts, it is clear that the condition of the palace complex was good till the first half of the 19th century. During the regime of Raja Bhoopender Pal (1813-1834 AD), Basohli state was attacked by the Sikhs several times, and in these attacks, the Basohli palace and fort were damaged and weakened. Some portions of the structure of the fort and palace complex were lost by the mid-1930s. There was no Rang Mahal by 1936, which was lost due to the apathy of the successive state governments towards the history and heritage of the Jammu region.
The palace is in a ruinous condition these days because no agency ever took interest in its care and maintenance. In spite of the dilapidated condition of the palaces, thousands of visitors, scholars, and historians visit these ruins because, according to them, there is much to explore and discover from the debris of these ruins, which have been pitilessly abandoned by the Archaeological Department of the state. The state and ASI should order a detailed comprehensive survey of the ruins and explore the hidden and buried compartments bearing the mural paintings so that visitors and research scholars can bring important information about the cultural heritage and aesthetic values of the generations living in the oldest Duggar state of Basohli.
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