Pahari artists painted scenes from epics, Puranas and poetry. Which of the following pairs of painting and text is correctly matched?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Rama gives away his possessions – Ayodhya Kanda of the Shangri Ramayana
Option (1) Rama gives away his possessions – Ayodhya Kanda of the Shangri Ramayana — Correct. The folio belongs to the Ayodhya Kanda of the Shangri Ramayana.
Option (2) Rama and Lakshmana following sage Vishvamitra to the forest – Ayodhya Kanda of the Shangri Ramayana — Incorrect. This folio belongs to the Bala Kanda of the Shangri Ramayana.
Option (3) Re-enacting Krishna’s deeds – Gita Govinda of Jayadeva — Incorrect. It illustrates the Bhagvata Purana. The Gita Govinda is Manaku’s most outstanding set.
Option (4) A couple in the month of Jyestha – Rasamanjari of Bhanu Datta — Incorrect. It is a Baramasa painting from Kangra. The Rasamanjari was the most popular Basohli theme.
NCERT (2026-27): “Rama gives away his possessions, Ayodhya Kanda, Shangri Ramayana, 1690–1700, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA” “Rama and Lakshmana following sage Vishvamitra to the forest, Bala Kanda, Shangri Ramayana 1680–1688, Raja Raghbir Singh Collection, Shangri, Kullu Valley, India” “Re-enacting Krishna’s deeds, Bhagvata Purana, Guler–Kangra, India, 1780–85, Private Collection” “A couple in the month of Jyestha, Kangra, 1800, National Museum, New Delhi, India” “The Baramasa paintings, consisting of 12 folios, illustrating the modes of love or courtship appropriate to each month of the year had become a popular theme in the hills during the nineteenth century. An account of Baramasa is given by Keshav Das in the tenth chapter of Kavipriya. He, thus, describes the hot month of Jyeshtha, which falls in the months of May and June.” |