Several hill centres developed their own variations of Pahari painting. Which centre emerged with a distinctive style in which figures had a prominent chin and wide open eyes, with lavish use of grey and terracotta red colours in the background?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Kullu
Option (1) Nurpur — Incorrect. Nurpur artists kept the vibrant colours of Basohli with the dainty figure types of Kangra.
Option (2) Kullu — Correct. Kullu emerged with a distinctive style. Its figures had a prominent chin and wide open eyes, with grey and terracotta red used lavishly in the background.
Option (3) Mankot — Incorrect. Some Basohli artists shifted to Mankot, so it developed a school similar to Basohli.
Option (4) Chamba — Incorrect. Chamba is known for portraits of its rulers in the Basohli style.
Note: This topic was not named in the CUET 2026 syllabus, but it was part of the NCERT chapter. In 2025 and 2026, NTA also asked questions on topics in NCERT that the CUET syllabus did not name. So our mocks have questions from every part of the NCERT chapter, to give you enough practice. Read the whole chapter, not only the sub-topics named in the syllabus.
NCERT (2026-27): “Kangra School …Briefly mentioning the aspects of the other centres, one finds portraits of the rulers of Chamba in the seventeenth and early eighteenth century in the Basohli style. Kullu emerged with a distinctive style, where figures had a prominent chin and wide open eyes, and lavish use of grey and terracotta red colours in the background was made. …It is believed that when the Basohli style had outgrown itself and matured into the Kangra style, Nurpur artists retained the vibrant colours of Basohli with the dainty figure types of Kangra. Due to marital relations between Basohli and Mankot, few artists from Basohli seem to have shifted to Mankot, thereby, developing a similar school of painting.…” |