Black and White Picture of Raja Ugar Singh of Hindur, 1840-1850 (from Archer's book on Punjab Hills Paintings) Picture the year: 1795. The foothills of the Shivaliks are tense, echoing with the tramp of armed men and the grinding pressure of regional rivalries. Down in the valleys, Raja Ram Saran Singh Handuriya of Handur (modern-day Nalagarh) is caught in a grinding political bind. For years, Handur has ridden the coattails of Kangra’s aggressive campaigns against its bitter historical rival, Bilaspur (then known as Kahlur). But looking out across his contested borders, Ram Saran Singh faces a heavier, more haunting question: Does he continue serving as a satellite to Kangra’s ambitions, or does he break away, side with Maha Chand and Bilaspur, and reclaim a fractured sense of Rajput honor? The friction between Handur and Bilaspur was rooted in continuous struggles over strategic border zones, crucial river-crossing points, and the Satgarha (seven forts) territory. Because Handur...
Painting of Mola Ram showing a girl approaching a black buck and playing a sitar (Courtesy: Victoria and Albert Museum Collection Just a few days ago I was going through a fascinating book written by Mukandi Lal about the Garhwal school of Pahari painting. Though the school, which took off in Raja Prithipat Shah’s reign around 1658, the school became associated with one man and his family - the legendary Mola Ram. Mola Ram was born in 1743, and went on to live for a whole 90 years. He was essentially a painter as part of the family profession that was goldsmith ( Sunar ) by caste, and was based out of Srinagar, which used to be the capital of Garhwal state till Tehri (which now lies submerged) came up due to a malevolent move by the British East India Company. Mola Ram stands out as a painter as per art historians as he managed to create his own signature style that took elements of the Kangra school of art and brought in interesting layers to the art form from other school...