Mirth of Jaipur Wall Painting (An Old and Rare Book)

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About the Book The present work is perhaps the most exhaustive study of Jaipur Wall Paintings written by any art scholar on this theme.

Wall Paintings occupy an important place in the art tradition of India. The wall paintings of Ajanta and Bagh caves are famous all over the world. In an exclusive chapter the writer has discussed at length the heritage of wall paintings in India from the prehistoric times. The wall paintings were popular not only among the royalty and rich; these were executed in the temples and houses of common people, such as found at Chamoli, Kangda, Basauli, Datia etc. The writer also examines Delgado, Udaipur, Nathdwara, Marwar, Hadoti, Jaipur and other schools of painting during the 17th-18th centuries. In the back drop of this art tradition, Dr. Ms. Mamta Chaturvedi, with the help of copious sketches .traces the origin and development of Jaipur style of ‘wall paintings which acquired distinctive form and refinement during this period.

The writer also describes the nearby centers of wall paintings such as at Uniara, Alwar, and Shekhawati etc. The book contains an informative chapter on the technique of the Jaipur wall paintings, the fresco-buono method flagella, morakasi) which included preparation of surface, the material and implements used by the artists of that period, method of preparation of colors and pigments, the fresco Saco and tempara processes examples of which are seen at many places in Jaipur, as well as the thematic contents of these paintings. Mamta Chaturvedi gives a detailed account of the precise location of the Jaipur wall paintings which should prove very useful to artists and scholars and which form the basis of this fascinating scholar illustrated work.

About the Author Dr. Mamta Chaturvedi obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Rajasthan. She published a number of articles and a book on Aesthetics by Rajasthan Hindi Grantha Akademi, Jaipur. Her paintings have been exhibited in National, Regional and State exhibitions. At present she is' working as Assistant Professor in Painting, Rajasthan School of Arts, Jaipur.

Foreword The rich Indian Culture remains incomplete without the mention of its invaluable wall-paintings.

According to Nandlal Bose, the famous bengali painter, man beautified the caves with various forms of paintings much before he built his first dwelling.

The pre-historic remnants of wall-paintings in India have been found in Mirzapur, Singharpur, Haushangabad, Panchmadhi, Bhopal and Rajasthan etc. This led to many more historical evidences. During medieval times these cave paintings occupied an important place in the lives of kings, Samants and common men. The state of Rajasthan possesses an immense treasure of ancient and medieval art. Sawai Jai Singh Ji's Jaipur City has a prominent place in the tradition of wall paintings which can be seen not only in places like Bairath, Amer, Mozmabad and Bhavpura but also on the richly decorated walls of almost: every 'Haveli', palaces, temples and common men's houses.

So much so that the popularity of these paintings can be seen on the canopies and cemeteries of the then 'Rajas' and 'Maharajas'.

But it is extremely tragic to see the gradual decline of this invaluable treasure .. due to time factor and lack of patronage. The world famous ' Aalagila' Technique of Jaipur is experiencing a painful decline and irreparable loss in the field of art and painting. It is the duty not only of the government to preserve this dying art but the common men too needs to be made aware of its value and importance.

The book 'Mirth of Jaipur Wall Paintings, authored by Dr. Mamta Chaturvedi is a milestone in the compilation of the tradition of wall paintings, as it depicts a deep analytical study of the artistic development of the subject. In her book Dr. Chaturvedi has thrown light on the origin and ancestry of Kachhwaha dynasty, Chronological development, subject matter and technique of wall paintings also found in important places of Jaipur city.

One of the important aspects of the book is that the author has tried to highlight and illustrate some untouched and unpublished wall paintings of Raipur in its historic and artistic context.

In order to make the future generation aware, there has been an addition of some of the pieces which have otherwise been forgotten with the passage of time.

This book will prove a landmark for art lovers, research scholars and tourists by bringing forth some of the rare materials in the field of art and painting. May this publication carve a niche in the field of art?

Preface The tradition of wall-paintings in India dates back to hoary antiquity. Though it has changed considerably with the changes in time and clime, its nature has remained the same. This continuous flow of the tradition enables one to trace the history of wall-paintings with a fair degree of certainty. The different stages of its development are marked by a number of distinguishing traits.

Generally speaking, the whole of Rajasthan is rich in wall- paintings. In the fifteenth century, the remnants of old wall-paintings were found in Mewed region. From the sixteenth century, the continuous development of this tradition is attested by the paintings at Bairath, Bhavpura, Mauzamabad and Amber.

Besides the temples at Gala in Jaipur, a number of wall- paintings belonging to 'the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries can be seen at various places and in the mansions of Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur, Kota, Bundle, and the Shekhawati area. The style of these paintings appears to comply more with the linear expression of the Ajanta tradition than any other tradition. Although the tradition of wall-paintings has been prevalent throughout the country, it seems to have been more widespread and popular in Rajasthan. The rulers here are known to have constructed small and big temples in accordance with their religious 'predilections besides massive palaces and forts.

.. Wall-paintings in Rajasthan can be registered since olden times. The paintings on the stone slabs at 'Darer' in Bhagalpur district and the stone paintings at Mori, Kedareshwar, Hingalaj-gadha, Indra-gadha, Sita-Khadi etc. situated on the banks of the Chambal, on the borders of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, bear testimony that the tradition of wall-paintings in Rajasthan goes back to the period when man was still at the primitive stage. Although old wall panels are not available in plenty, it is certain that the tradition of wall-paintings in Rajasthan is quite old. The walls of the temples, mansions and palaces of Rajasthan during the medieval period were artistically decorated with a number of attractive paintings.

But many of these priceless deposits of wall-paintings have perished due to lack of proper protection and carelessness of the general public. In Purohit Ji Ki Haveli many panels have been destroyed due to the installation of electric wires. Others are also found scribbled by students. Not a single panel remains intact in Nanaji Ki Haveli due to the indiscriminate white washing of the walls. The wall-paintings of Maqudum Shah Ka Maqbra, Bairath and Adarsh Nagar cremation ground are now in a deplorable condition. Most of them have been heavily blackened by the smoke of fires lit by the persons living there.

The panels in the Bhojan so at Amber and Gala also are not in good condition 'at present. Some of them are defaced with incoherent writings. A, renewal project has been undertaken at Galta by the Birlas to prevent further destruction of these representative paintings of the Jaipur style.

The wall panels at Sisodia Palace have been damaged by floods and the State Public Works Department has managed to destroy them in the name of beautification and restoration of the ancient palace by treating them with chemical colors. The Murlidharji Ki Nassian is repainted every year which only serves to disfigure the paintings on the walls. Though the Chhatris of Samajbadi are under the protection of the Department of Archeology, the paintings executed there are decaying day by day. The Jagat Siromani temple, which is situated just behind the Amber palace, is suffering from total neglect. The panels in Bhawaniram Bohara's house, Choor Singh Ki Haveli, Bhavpura Ki Chhatri, Maharaja Man Singh Ki Chhatri, palaces of niara and Nagar, Alwar, Rajgadha, Haveli of Diwan Balmukund at Alwar and the painted Havelis at Laksamangadha, Ramgadha, and Ratangadha etc. have also suffered with the passage of time.

Introduction The old name of the region now represented by Jaipur and the adjoining areas (major portions of Dausa, Alwar, Jaipur, Shekhawati) was Dhimdar Pradesh .. The province is said to have acquired this name because of a demon called Dhund. According to another opinion it was so called due to the shifting sand dunes. The Dhund river ,may also be deemed to have lent toe name to the region. Modern Jaipur came into existence in the is. century. In the ancient times (Mahabharata period) the northern 'part of jaipur state was included in Matsyadesh with its capital at Viratnagar. Viratnagar (Modern Bairath) is situated about 41 miles north, of Jaipur. It was here that the Pandavas and Draupadi lived incognito for one year, after twelve years of exile from their home town Indraprastha, which is now known as Delhi. At a subsequent stage in its history, the region came to be called Amber. It was the ancient capital of Dhundar and was founded by Kakil Dev in the 12th century.

TOWN PLANNING

Town planning means the preparation and implementation of a suitable ground plan to meet the needs of a particular type of town.

The most important of all Silpsastras was the Manasara. The Manasara deals with, town planning in the chapter on villages and not in the chapter on towns. It has described eight types of villages. They are introduction Dandaka, Sarvatobhadra, Nandayarta, Padmaka, Svastika, Prastara, Karmuka and Chaturmukha. Of these, the Prastara type gained more popularity. It is widely believed that Jaipur was built according to the Prastara plan.

Jaipur is neither square nor rectangular in shape. It is of an irregular shape. The plan of Jaipur city also does not correspond in any manner to the description of the prasiara plan. According to Jaipur records, the city site covered parts of six villages, namely - Nahargadhu, Talkahora, Santosh Sagar, Moti Kaila, Gala, Kisanpole. Jaipur is actually divided into two parts by one long road, running east to west, from Sisrajpole gate to Chandpole gate. A look at the original plan-map of the walled city of Jaipur makes it clear that originally the city had four blocks, which have now expanded into seven. There are seven entrances to the city of Jaipur in the form of gateways. The entrance in the west is known as Chandpole, Ajmeri Darwaja is Kisanpole, Sioapole is Sanganer Darwaja, Rampole is Ghat Darwaja in the south. On the east is Gangapole and the seventh is Dhruvapole or the North gate. It is also called Zorawar Singh ka Darwaja.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages