Art
and Heritage
The hilly terrain of Uttaranchal State are a veritable
open-air museum with a treasure trove of artifacts strewn all over with gay
abandon. These priceless treasures have been preserved intact over the
centuries, despite the vagaries of time. The exquisite Art of Garhwal &
Kumaon provide a remarkable in- sight into the life, culture and traditions
of the people who inhabited the region before the advent of modernity. Even
today, these are of immense interest for anthropologists, art historians and
art lovers.
Template Architecture
Due to its
inaccessibility, this region (Garhwal & Kumaon) was least disturbed by
the political upheavals that occurred in the plains due to wars. Temple
architecture was patronized under the powerful and wealthy kings of Paun,
Katuyaris, Pawars and Chanda dynasties who encouraged the construction of
big stone temples, wood carvings, ornaments, pattas, aipans etc. Big stone
temples were erected with highly intricate and ornamental carvings, having
beautiful stone and metal idols.
Temple complexes of Adi Badri
( Distt. Chamoli) and Baijnath ( Distt. Almora) are but few examples of
this. The kings of the Katuyar dynasty constructed many stone Temples in
high and inaccessible places. Temples of Kedarnath, Tungnath etc. are
but a few examples of this. The ruins of the Temples and palaces of
Champawat are mute witness of the wealth and glory of those powerful and
wealthy kings. In later periods, however the Temples and Temple complexes
remained not only a place of religious practice but also became the meeting
points of intellectuals. Here artists used to gather to display their best
art works, poems and pundits to debate over complicated philosophical
issues. Kamleshwar Temple of Srinagar (Garhwal) and Nanda Devi Temple
(Distt. Almora) are fine example of these.
Aipan, The
Folk Art of Kumaon & Garhwal
On the bank of the suyal River near
Barechhina in District Almora, two painted rock-shelters have been
discovered. They reveal paintings of animals, humans and also testifiers
done with fingers in black, red and white colours. There is circumstantial
evidence for regarding the Barechhina paintings as prehistoric and
representing the starting point of art in Kumaon. The womenfolk of Kumaon
have played a major role in perpetuating the traditions of folk art. The
style of painting is locally known as Aipan
Himalayas is a Sanskrit
word meaning, "abode of snow". It is the tallest mountain range,
whose spiny ridges spread out halfway across the world's largest continent.
The formidable range with at least eighty peaks above 20000 feet, the
snow-covered silvery summits spread out beyond the horizon, gigantic
glaciers, high plateau, the magnificent roaring dark gorges, are an awe
inspiring spectacle that transcends description.
But this
great abode of snow is more than ice, snow and rock. Since antiquity it has
been home of a great diversity of people, who have developed many
magnificent cultures. With passage of time all these become one with the
great wonderland, that is India. Like many other, the culture of Garhwal
and Kumaon have their rich and definite contributions to the ocean of great
Indian Culture. The traditions folk art of the region was preserved in its
original form, since Garhwal and Kumaon were inaccessible in the past, due
to the high mountain ranges and rugged topography. The art of Garhwal &
Kumaon can be divided in five parts
Wood Carving
Found
in abundance in the hills, the crafts persons of Garhwal & Kumaon
mastered the art of wood caving. The woodcarving of Garhwal and Kumaon are
famous for its simple and beautiful designs. Even today the wooden front
doors of many houses of Garhwal are beautifully carved with floral designs,
animals and fishes. Ornamental wood carvings on front doors are known as
Kholi in the local language. In the past houses were beautifully ornamented
with caved wooden doors and it was considered to be a reflection of a man's
status. The wealthier a persons was, the bigger was the front wooden door
and more complicated were the carved designs. These beautifully ornamented
doors and windows still attract art lovers.
Painting
Garhwal
was always considered a safe haven for wanderers, adventures, political
sufferers, philosophical thinkers and nature lovers. About the middle of the
17th century A.D. Suleman Shikoh, a Mughal Prince, took refuge in Garhwal.
The Prince brought along with him an artist and his son who were his court
painters and well versed in the Mughal style of Miniature painting. After
nineteen months, the Prince left Garhwal but his court painters enchanted by
the environs settled in Srinagar (Garhwal), the then capital of the Pawar
dynasty and introduced the Mughal style of painting in Garhwal. With the
passage of time, the successors of these original masters became expert
painters and also developed an original style of their own. This style later
on came to be known as the Garhwal School of Painting.