Sunburst and Angels

Sunburst and Angels

a painted roof in the Bundi Palace
18th-19th century.

      The Bundi Palace has beautiful paintings practically in every room. This is one of the best well preserved paintings in a room. Painted on the roof, it depicts a sunburst with two angls. Surprisingly, the angels are painted as though taken from Persian art. The painting is extensively done in gold. The Rani's bedchamber is also done in gold. But unfortunately this part of the palace is closed. It is open only for bats, rats, lizards and cocroches.  The window of the room, where this painting is, is broken. The wind, water and air have easy access to these paintings. The national art treasures of this palace have been abandoned to time. But this time, time may not heal; it may destroy the art treasure.  We continue to be oblivious of our history and ignorant of our art.

Ragani Todi

Ragani Todi

from Chitrashala of the Bundi Palace
 18th century AD.

       In the Mahabharat and Ramayan it is mentioned that the palaces had a gallery for paintings called "chitrashala". Bundi Palace has the only living example in India. A portion of the palace is devoted only to paintings. This portion has paintings on different themes painted on the walls: Ragmala, religious paintings, Barahmasa ( depicting the twelve months). These are not frescoes,  which are painted while the plaster is still wet. These are murals which are painted after the plaster has dried.
       Since these paintings are done predominantly in bluish-green colors, the general impression is that the pallet of the Bundi artist was a limited one. But this is untrue.
         Here we see Ragani Todi. Ragani Todi depicts the pathos of separation between the lovers. The nayak ( the hero) is away. The nayaka (the heroine) plays the sitar or the vina (a string instrument) while lost in the thoughts about her lover. The beautiful melody attracts the deers, fauns or black bucks from the forest who have come to listen to the soulful music. The deer also symbolise the missing nayak. This iconography for Ragani Todi is prevalent in all the Schools of miniature paintings. Thus, the Ragani is easily identifiable. 
        Here using the bluish-green color, the artist has heightened the pathos of separation.  He has caught the essence of the Ragani, the musical mode.

A Painted Room in the Bundi Palace

A Painted Room in the Bundi Palace

 17th century.

       Bundi School had an extremely colorful phase. This room in the Bundi Palace is a glaring example of it. It is said that this room was painted by Chinese artists as there are images of dragons and of phenoix. But what one sees in the upper part of this picture is a scene of the Raslila performed by Lord Krishna and the Gopis.
         Interestingly instead of depicting the Raslila at night, as it is usually depicted,  here the artist paints it with a background of red color.  The artist has used the color symbolically to portray the deep love that existed between Lord Krishna and the gopis. The love between the god and the soul is selfless, boundless and pure. It follows  no rules or regulations; it does not adhere to any creed. It is pure 'bhakti' (devotion).
           While Bundi miniatures are famous for its deep romanticism,  it is also capable of depicting pure metaphysical thoughts.