Many colours of
Sikh art

Pahari, Mughal and Rajasthani miniatures influenced Punjab Sikh paintings over the centuries, writes Seema Chopra

SIKH paintings from Punjab have not been able to create a separate identity. Most paintings from the state can be categorised as Pahari, Rajasthani, Mughal, Kashmiri or even English.

These paintings, with multiple themes, were based on illustrations from manuscripts, miniature paintings on paper, cloth or canvas and murals or wall paintings. Most Sikh paintings were created during the 19th century but according to historical evidence, painting was a popular art form in the state during the Mughal period.

The Greater Punjab between Lahore and Delhi included present-day Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. This explains the influence of Pahari, Mughal and Rajasthani miniatures upon the Sikh paintings.

In the early 17th century, paintings in the region were appreciated by Mughal emperor Jehangir, an art lover. Then the focus was on miniature paintings. Jehangir preferred paintings based on court scenes, hunting exploits, various sports of Mughal times and portraits. Painters were invited to attend competitions and special occasions and then paint them.

Traders of the East India Company mentioned the elaborate wall paintings of Jehangir’s palace depicting the court of Emperor Akbar and his son Jehangir. Similar references to life-like depiction of grandeur in paintings have been made in several books of the time.

Several Pahari paintings show Sikh kings with kings of other Pahari states. According to W.B. Archer, in the beginning of the 19th century, Pahari painters were invited to paint Sikh rulers, nobility and other influential families. Several religious paintings were redone under the flagship of Sikh paintings in the Kangra style.

Sikh paintings attained new heights during Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s rule. He encouraged the artists to draw and paint dignitaries and guests. The famous Pahari painter — Nain Sukh — was closely associated with the Lahore Court. Years later, the descendants of Nain Sukh created several magnificent paintings for the Patiala rulers. The records at the Sikh Court of Lahore include lists of several Pahari painters working there.

The majestic doors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s palace were decorated with spectacular paintings illustrating scenes from the Krishna Leela. Paintings of Sikh Gurus and Maharaja Ranjit Singh were also popular. At that time, a few Kashmiri painters illustrated the manuscripts of Punjab in a series of paintings the favourite theme being from Janamsakhi. The other themes were from Gita Govinda, Bhagvatapurana, Vishnupurana, The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. Various symbols of the Sikhism were also part of the paintings. Contributions to Sikh paintings were also made by Rajasthan miniature painters.

Between the reign of Jehangir and Maharaja Ranjit Singh, remarkable paintings were made in Punjab since both were notable art lovers. The other notable Sikh paintings are those related to kingdoms of Patiala, Kapurthala and Nabha.

The period post-Maharaja Ranjit Singh was politically unstable thus art and culture declined. Pahari, Muslim and Rajasthani artists migrated to smaller kingdoms of Patiala, Jind and Kapurthala. The choice of colours used and the style of figures painted were indicative of the style of paintings.

In the 19th century, Patiala was the prominent centre of art. The walls of the palaces were decorated with murals depicting scenes from The Mahabharata, incarnations of Vishnu, Shiva, Lakshmi, Sur Sagar, Sudama Charita, Krishna Leela and Janamsakhis of Guru Nanak Dev. The other preferred themes of paintings were poetic illustrations of scenes from Rasik-Priya (Kapurthala), Radha Krishna, Gita Govinda, Nayak-Nayika and Raag Mala.

By the end of the 19th century, several paintings influenced by the European style of paintings with oil colour on canvas emerged on the art scene of Patiala, Kapurthala and Nabha. Well-known artists of the period were Hari Singh, Kishen Singh and Bishan Singh. The use of canvas and oil colours was the main transformation. The paintings included the portraits of the Sikh Gurus, saints and members of the Patiala Royal family in European style. Besides these, the other known paintings are the portraits of women by Kehar Singh and miniature paintings by Kapur Singh.

Besides illustrations of manuscripts and art executed upon paper and canvas; appreciable amount of murals were created on the walls of palaces, gurdwara, temples and havelis all over Punjab. The murals were influenced by folk art. Favourite themes were incidents from the life of Lord Rama, Krishna Leela and paintings of local deity, Sanjhi Devi, The Mahabharata, lives of Puran Bhagat and Sikh gurus. The other themes were related to The Puranas and other folk stories which used traditional symbols and motifs. The romantic paintings were based upon works like Heer-Ranjha, Sohni-Mahiwal, Sassi-Punnu and Laila-Majnu.

Whatever remains of the wall paintings, in several temples, gurdwaras, old havelis and quilas indicate that the wall paintings of Punjab represented religious themes. In several ancient temples of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur district, most wall paintings depict scenes from The Ramayana.

Undergoing several transformations and phases, the Sikh paintings have still survived due to the effort of a few artists who are struggling to keep this medium of expression alive. In this age of art curators and art lovers, paintings are not just an expression of creativity but investment too.

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