Knowra Kangra painting Kangra painting Kangra painting is a school of Pahari miniature painting that developed in northern India’s Kangra region. It is known for delicate lines, vivid colors, and lyrical scenes, especially from Hindu poetry and mythology.
Pahari painting : A group of miniature painting schools that flourished in the Himalayan foothills of northern India. Kangra painting is one of the most celebrated schools within this regional tradition.
Wasli : A layered handmade paper used as a support for traditional South Asian miniature painting. Kangra painters used prepared paper to support fine brushwork and layered pigments.
Kangra : A historic region in the western Himalayas, now chiefly within the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The school takes its name from this region and developed around its courts.
Krishna : A major Hindu deity, worshipped as an avatar of Vishnu and celebrated in devotional poetry. Krishna’s love and play with Radha became central subjects in Kangra painting.
Pahari painting attribution : The study of assigning unsigned Himalayan miniature paintings to particular workshops, regions, or artists. Kangra’s stylistic overlap with neighboring schools makes attribution a continuing scholarly problem.
Indian miniature painting : Small-scale paintings made in South Asian courtly and religious traditions, often on paper or cloth. Its scale, materials, and manuscript culture belong to this wider miniature tradition.
Gouache : An opaque water-based paint made with pigment, water, and a binding medium. Opaque pigments helped create the saturated colors characteristic of Kangra paintings.
Guler State : A former princely state in the Himalayan foothills, associated with an early Pahari painting tradition. Painters connected with Guler helped establish the style that later flourished at Kangra.
Radha : A figure in Hindu devotional traditions, especially revered as Krishna’s beloved and devotee. Her longing and devotion anchor many of the school’s intimate, lyrical scenes.
Kangra Art Museum : A museum in Dharamshala, India, whose collections include art and objects from the Kangra region. Its collections preserve works and material culture associated with the regional tradition.
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