Second Pahari Painting Workshop Organized by IIT Mandi toPreserve and Promote the Himalayan Culture

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”- Pablo Picasso

The art of pahari painting is one of the finest gifts of India to the art of world. ‘Pahari’ (literal

translation of hills in Hindi) painting is a collective term used to describe the miniature painting

that originated in the Western Himalayan hill kingdoms in north India. The glimpses of the rich

Pahari painting heritage of Himalayan region is found in the museums and art galleries for

tourists, while in almost every house in the villages Pahari paintings are showcased in different

forms.

After the successful completion of first workshop on Pahari painting many students, staff and

faculty members showed interest to learn this art form and signed up for the second workshop.

The aim of this workshop was to keep this art thriving and to make next generation aware about

this incredible heritage of Himalayas. The workshop was supervised by Dr. Ramna Thakur

(Principle Investigator) and Mr. Vijay Sharma - a renowned Pahari painting artist and a

recipient of fourth highest civilian award ‘Padam Shri’ by the Government of India for his

contribution to the promotion of this art form.

Participants were selected on the basis of their deep interest in this art and taught all the

traditional details of this style of painting for 11 days. They completed the training with great

enthusiasm and at the end of the training they were ready with their masterpieces of Pahari

Introductory lecture on Pahari Painting by Mr.Vijay Sharma (pahari painting artist)

paintings. 35 participants have been successfully trained, to preserve and promote this culturally

rich heritage throughout the world.

Participants are engrossed in their paintings

Inauguration of exhibition by Prof. Timothy A. Gonsalves(Director, IIT Mandi)

Prof. Timothy A. Gonsalves inaugurated the

exhibition of the paintings made by the

participants, on November 19th, 2016.

Visitors were amazed to see the fine art

done by the participants and expressed their

overwhelming applause about the idea of

preserving this traditional Himalayan art.

They appreciated the hard work and effort

put by all participants in the minute details

of this art in their paintings.

Some of the paintings created by the participants:

Gestures speaks the language of love by Abhijit Seth

Awaiting for spring by Sanal Gupta

Purity and serenity of love by Prabhjot Kaur

Where silence becomes thought and site becomes music by Rais

Mesmerized by her words by Shivendra Sangar

The other face of nature by Sandhya Menon

Lost in the nature by Shikha Gupta

Poetry of love never die by Puran Singh

Eternal shine of spotless mind by Suman

Music is the fruit of soul, it commences where speech ends by Bulti Pramanick

Solitude with nature by Suman Chauhan

When eyes speak, words rest by P.V. Suguna

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin by Akansha Garg

Love’s abode, even God bows down by Bhed Ram

When mind rests, soul speaks by Ramna Thakur