Bundi

Etymology: The name 'Bundi' comes from the narrow valley named Bandu-Ka-Nal, Bandu was the title given to the chief/leader of the Meena tribe and Nal referred to the narrow ways.

Origin: Bundi School of miniature paintings stem in Bundi, Rajasthan. It's one of the many schools of art in Rajasthan. The earliest trances of Bundi miniatures can be traced to as early as the year 1591.

Location: Although the first paintings that would put Bundi miniatures on the art map were painted at Chunar, near Varanasi, the art travelled back to Bundi and stayed mobile around Jodhpur, Mewar, and Marwar as the artisan community settled in and around these areas.

Community: The Bundi region was occupied by the Meena tribe who were formerly known as the 'Republic of Meena' owing to their dense population. This tribe would, later on, gravitate towards agriculture and take up Hinduism as their religion which also shaped their way of life, they follow a joint family system and the tradition of pardah or a veil.

Relevance: The grandeur and beautifying nature of these paintings were appreciated and demanded by many of the Rajput royalties as it was seen as social merit to have Bundi courtesans document the royal activities and portraitures.

Historical background: Since the origins of this art form or shaili are from Rajasthan, Bundi miniatures are a blend of Mughal and Deccan elements and styles. The major themes for these paintings are Krishna-Lila, Rasikapriya, Nayaka-Nayika, Barahmasa, Harem or Zanana, Rag-Ragini, Nayika-Bhed, and other themes that are also depicted are scenes from the royal court, festivals, wars, hunting, portraitures, lush foliage, and animals.

Culture and societies: The Bundis celebrate festivities such as Rakshabandhan, Diwali, Dusshera, Holi, Annakot, Mahavir Jayanti, and Muharram. Although the festivals of Teej and Gangaur are of higher cultural importance to the region and the people of Bundi; the two main languages they have adopted are Haroti and Khararhi. They have a rich culture filled to the brim with their religious literature, folklore, and philosophies that revolve around the Gods and Goddesses they worship. Vishnu along with other prominent Hindu goddesses are at the centre of their religious and spiritual beliefs. They believe that the goddesses are the epitome of female energy and are the source of all creations. Some of their folk dances include Ghoomar, Panihari, Gheer, Kacchi Ghori, and Dandia.

Religious significance: Adopting Hinduism, the Bundis leaned towards creating their miniatures on religious poetry or Ragas that largely depicted the courtship between Krishna and Radha, here is a series of paintings called 'Ragamalas' wherein visual translation of written poetry is observed to be painted.

Legend: It is alleged that in 1605, Akbar was very pleased by the respect he gained from the region of Bundi and gifted the royal family three master artisans from Chunar. These painters, who were previously trained to work on palm leaves, took up working on wall painting or frescos in palaces such as Badal Mahal and Chitra Shala.

Central motifs and their significance: The artisans focused primarily on the lush vegetation of Bundi, Raginis, and Nayikas. Raginis and Nayikas are wives of Ragas and heroines, respectively. The greenery, dense plantations, flora and fauna, flowing rivers, and dramatic clear dark skies are shown in abundance to showcase the hilly region on Bundi and to celebrate its lusciousness. Women are drawn with great exaggeration by painting their figures tall and sinched, their eyes elongated, and their attire heavily bejewelled, which distinguished deities and figures of royal patronage from the commonplace.

Medium used: Pigments were collected in powder form from natural elements such as conch shells, precious and semi-precious stones, metals such as silver and gold, and natural dyes were prepared from berries, vegetables, soil, cow dung, and leaves. The traditional painting tool was natural-haired brushes made from squirrel and camel tail hair.

Style: The Bundi miniatures were a mixture of real and imagined folklore, epics, and daily scenes of the royal court. These miniatures possess a distinct representation of the human form, especially women. These paintings are vibrant with dark floral borders and motifs of animals, dense greenery, and showcasing the hilly regions of Bundi.

Process: The Bundi artists started painting these miniatures as wall frescos, which gradually changed surfaces to cloth and handmade paper called wasli, which is a type of handmade paper which was specifically used to paint miniatures on. These were sheets of handmade paper which were glued together to have a thicker base for the pigments to be painted upon, the painting process usually began with drawing the outlines/linework that was sketched by the head artisan where after, the sketch made its way to other specifically skilled artists to fill in the details and paint the figures. This process of painting involved mixing the powdered pigments with a mixture of water and glue. Finally, the finished painting was burnished with agate to maintain its vibrance.

The 18th century saw a rise in elaborate and lustrous portraitures, whereas from the 19th century onwards Bundi miniature witnessed a pale phase where a cooler colour palette was used. The focus of the theme shifted from predominantly outdoor scenes, and the figures were no longer crisp with details, instead, they were often painted with an overcast shadow. Moving towards the late 19th century, these miniatures saw a decline in their production with watered-down techniques used to depict a repetition in theme, moreover, the unique individuality of artisans was lost.

Shifting surfaces from frescos to cloth and handmade paper, the artists now use canvases to paint these miniatures using store-bought pigments such as oil paints and watercolours. This is because the traditional materials used are difficult to source to obtain.

1. Beach, M.C., Lauwaert, H. and Gobyn, W. (2014) An unknown treasure in Rajasthan: the Bundi wall paintings. London: Thames & Hudson.

2. Jiwan, S. (1999) A Study Of Bundi School Of Painting. Ajmer: Abhinav Publications.