A large size cloth-painting from Jaipur in Rajasthan by some artist
from Kishangarh, a great seat of medieval Rajasthani miniatures,
seeking to blend elements of both art-styles, Jaipur and Kishangarh,
illustrates a custom of a Hindu marriage still prevalent in some form
or other in some sections of society. The painting has been rendered
on a large size sheet of cloth manufactured with fine mercerized
cotton and silk yarns using a wide range of colours, both in unmixed
and mixed shades. Similarly, besides representing a particular theme,
it assimilates various elements of the man-made world and nature,
architecture – the marble pavilions of the prince and princess and the
distant palaces, plants and trees to include Sapta-parnis laden with
balloon-like orange flowers and fruits, plantains and cypresses, birds: peacocks, peahens, parrots, and others, and the time: the hour of
the setting sun.
Both, the foreground and the background, though more especially the
background with a dense tree-line, a magnificent white palace in the
middle and a green pasture in the front, alone relieving it, are
closer to Jaipur art idiom. The architecture, the distant palace and
the marble-pavilions of both, the prince and his bride, are common to
both art-styles, but while the distant palace pursues the style of
buildings seen in Jaipur miniatures, the massive dimensions and the
perspective of the two pavilions are like those seen in Kishangarh
paintings. The style of costumes, their colours, prints and printed
motifs, that the princess and the other women folk are wearing are
almost common to Jaipur and Kishangarh or rather entire Rajasthan, but
the iconographic features, especially the form of the fish-like long
eyes, a little heavy chin, pointed noses with subdued upper part
around the eye-junction, cute small lips and glowing faces are
essentially the characteristics of Kishangarh art.
However, it is in portraying the figure of the prince that the artist
has completely subjected himself to the iconographic model of
Kishangarh. He does not adorn him like Lord Krishna but has rather
transformed him into his image. Like Krishna, he has opted blue for
his body-colour, a characteristically modeled crown with a peacock
feather identical to that with which the idol of Lord Krishna is
adorned at the Nathadwara shrine, a Vaijayanti of fresh white Parijat
flowers – typical of Vishnu and his incarnations, and lastly, the
flute in one of his hands. Not imaginary, this transformation has
historical reasons. The Kishangarh family was a staunch follower of
Vallabh’s Pustimarga and hence Krishna was not merely its deity but
also its essential ideal for modeling their lives. Hence, Kishangarh
rulers from Sawant Singh onwards, that is, from around the middle of
the eighteenth century, began holding the reins as Krishna and adopted
for them Krishna’s model and lifestyle, the same costumes, crown and
everything.
The painting seems to illustrate an almost extinct marriage-related
custom which prevailed in some regions and sections of society, the
nobility of the erstwhile Rajasthan in special. It is one of the many
sportive occasions that a traditional Indian marriage comprises. Still
prevailing in locally changed forms, it is a custom taking place after
the major marriage-related rituals have been accomplished and before
the bride’s send off. The bride was still at her parents’ house and
would go to her in-laws only when her groom himself came to take her.
As provided, on one hand the bride’s ‘sakhis’ would take her out to
the bridegroom, and on the other, with his retinue the groom too shall
come forward for receiving her. Normally the two are expected to meet
midway. However, the mischievous young ladies on both sides, the
bride’s ‘sakhis’ and the groom’s sisters etc., would use the occasion
for making fun of the other. The bride’s ‘sakhis’ would guide her for
moving slow so that the groom came farther than the centre and they
found occasion to ridicule him for his impatience to meet their
‘sakhi’, the bride, who herself is little eager to go to him.
This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.
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