Ethnic India Crafts

Krishna and Radha as eternal lovers were portrayed rejoicing the moments of love. The Kangra miniatures are also noted for portraying the famine charm with a natural grace.

The paintings based on Ragmalas (musical modes) also found patronage in Kangra. Some of the famous Kangra Ragmala Paintings include Ragini Gujari, Raga Lalit and Ragini Sorathi.

Kangra School in its later stage included scenes under star-studded skies and also portrayed storms with lightning running across the horizon. These features were conspicuously absent in the other schools of panting. Later, Kangra miniatures also depicted towns and cluster of houses in the distance but curiously mountains above the height of 13,000 ft were never made a part of the paintings.

Kangra miniatures were adopted as a model of pictorial expression at many places of Pahari paintings including Chamba.

The miniature artists faced hardships after they lost the patronage of the royalty, due to the changed political equations. Today, it is a dying art form as many of the artists have embraced other professions

The classic miniatures of the yore are preserved in museums. However, reproductions of these miniatures are also available that can be made a part of private collection.