Ramayana in Pahari Miniature Painting

Author(s): Jutta Jain
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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The Rāmāyaṇa In Pahari Miniature Painting
c. Gangoly 1926, pl. 16 (a). ill. 26
7. While Sita is still in full grief, one of Ravana's army generals, Prahasta, comes running into the Aśoka-grove and asks for a meeting. Rāvana immediately leaves the grove and listens to the report Prahasta has to give. After due consideration of his advisors' opinions he gives order to all his army generals to summon immediately all the demon-warriors and prepare them for the battle. (Välmiki VI, 32). One half of this picture shows the palace-building in which Rāvana is seen in conference with army-general Prahasta in reverential attitude. The huge tangled mass of demon-army summoned in front of the palace dominates the picture. The clumsy amount of demon-bodies and martial animals does not give the impression of disciplined ranks, the manifold variations in bodily shapes, facial expressions, in weapons and the colour-combination loosens the monotony of mass of similar objects. Often the animal-like body of the demons is not easily distinguishable from the martial animals, like the tiger and the demon above it in the middle of the warriors, both open their mouths and show their sharp white teeth out of which the tongues are hanging, both raise their heads and their big eyes sparkle in excitement, the tiger, which is exactly of the same appearance as the vahana of the Great Goddess in many contemporary and later Basohli miniatures, can be recognized from its dark stripes.
loc. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Ross-Coomaraswamy collection, no. 17.2749
publ. a. Coomaraswamy 1926, no. XXI on pl. XIII, description on p. 80. b. Archer 1973, vol. I, p. 147 mentioned.
according to Archer 1973, vol. I p. 147 also:
c. Gangoly 1926, pl. 16 (b).
ill. 27
8. As soon as Ravana leaves the Aśoka grove to attend the meeting with his army generals, the maya-head of Rama and his bow and arrow which were lying in front of Sita, disappear. The rākṣas! Sarama who is devoted to Sitā, explains that Rama is living and that he soon will start the battle in order to
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