Chamba

Etymology: In the 9th century, the Chamba village was named after Princess Champavati, the daughter of King Sahilavarman. It also refers to a tree with fragrant golden blossoms known locally as 'champaka' or the hill known as 'Chamba'.

Origin: A new style of painting emerged from the Basohli style. This was in the 17th century in the form of the Chamba miniature paintings. There are similarities in the neighbouring hilly regions? painting styles.

Location: Chamba is a village in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, located on the banks of the Ravi River and the Chamba Valley, with sights of the outer Himalayas.

Community: There is no specific community mentioned but the Chamba rulers maintained close ties with the Mughals. As a result, the artists may have been skilled professionals from Mughal courts.

Relevance: The paintings have their relevance with the Chamba rumal embroidery where the thread work is done similarly to the miniatures created on canvas or paper.

Historical background: Chamba miniature painting comes under the sub-styles of the Pahari school of painting. To have its recognition apart from the other paintings, it continued the painting style of Basohli with a blend of Mughal art influence. This place is well known for its embroidery work. The stunning scenery encouraged the painters to create subtle harmonies in their paintings. It is well-known for its peculiar and distinguishing female figures graced with the most elegant features.

Culture and societies: This art of painting flourished under the rule of Raja Jit Singh (1794-1808 CE), Raja Shri Singh (1844-1875 CE), and Raja Bhuri Singh (1904-1919 CE), where the painting had the influence of styles from the Mughals, Sikhs, and the neighbouring villages' Pahari painting.

Religious significance: There is no religious significance to Chamba painting but the making of Chamba rumal embroidery has a great connection with the Pahadi community and their lives.

Legends or myths: The queen's sacrifice is commemorated each year in the form of Sui Fair, a folk song that subtly exposes the patriarchal structure, where a king was considered next to God, and he sacrificed his daughter-in-law to appease the spirits for public welfare.

Central motifs and their significance: The main feature of this painting is ethnography. Ethnography means portraits of people. Most of the Chamba paintings represent portraits of royals. Other than that, landscapes highlight the painting with the emotions of a hero-heroine combination (nayak-nayika). Also, the delicate depictions of the female form make them unique.

Medium used: Handmade papers were used, which were made in Sialkot in Pakistan. The brush was made of mongoose ear hair, goat hair, calf hair, and squirrel hair. The colours of natural substances are mixed with organic gums like gum arabic and vegetable dyes. Also, metallic colours like gold and silver were used.

Style: As part of the Pahari school of painting, the painting has a Mughal influence with a combination of artistically blending colours and enhancing their visual impact. The paintings have fine craftsmanship, unique line elegance, and delicate scene composition.

Process: The procedures remain the same as other miniature paintings. Earlier, the paper used here was Sialkoti, handmade in Sialkot, Pakistan. Then the process of sketching and filling the colours is done using organic elements made along with a mixture of gum arabic or babool ka gond (gum of acacia nilotica) to make the colours long-lasting. Then the final outlines are done. Once these are finished, the burnishing of the painting is done using polished stone. And the last step is of applying a good amount of lacquer to the painting, This gives it a shiny look.

Vijay Sharma's Pahari paintings are well-known. He has mastered all styles of Pahari paintings. He is regarded not just for preserving the 300-year-old Pahari style miniature painting tradition, but also for his innovations. He runs 'Shilpa Parishad', an NGO that promotes and encourages miniature painting. He was honoured with Padma Shri award in 2012.

1. Goswamy, B.N., Eberhard Fischer, E. (2009) Pahari Masters Court Painters Of Northern India. New Delhi: Niyogi Books

2. Singh, C. (2002) Centres Of Pahari Painting. Ajmer: Abhinav Prakashan.

3. Rahi, O. (2013) Growth And Tradition Of Pahari Miniature Painting. New Delhi: National Publishing House.