Observe the image and answer the following question.
This Gita Govinda painting belongs to which Pahari school?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Guler
Option (1) Basohli — Incorrect. Basohli painting is bold and forceful; this folio shows the refined, subdued manner that replaced it.
Option (2) Guler — Correct. The painting is Krishna embracing gopis, a Gita Govinda folio painted at Guler in 1760–1765.
Option (3) Kangra — Incorrect. Kangra artists also painted the Gita Govinda, but this folio is from Guler.
Option (4) Chamba — Incorrect. Chamba is known for portraits of its rulers in the Basohli style.
NCERT (2026-27): “Guler School …The first quarter of the eighteenth century saw a complete transformation in the Basohli style, initiating the Guler–Kangra phase. This phase first appeared in Guler, a high-ranking branch of the Kangra royal family, under the patronage of Raja Govardhan Chand (1744–1773). … This style is more refined, subdued and elegant compared to the bold vitality of the Basohli style.”
“Krishna embracing gopis, Gita Govinda, Guler, 1760–1765, N. C. Mehta Collection, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India” |
