Rajasthan: Architecture, Paintings and Handicrafts

What the official syllabus says

RPSC, RAS/RTS Preliminary Examination, General Knowledge and General Science, under “History, Art, Culture, Literature, Tradition & Heritage of Rajasthan”:

• Architectural Tradition of Rajasthan- temples, forts, palaces, Monuments, man-made waterbodies, Various schools of paintings and handicrafts

The same official line continues with the performing arts, which are on Rajasthan: Folk Dance, Drama and Music.

Topics in detail

Temple architecture

• Early temples: the Gupta and post-Gupta remains at Nagari, Mukundara (Darrah) and Charchoma
• Maha-Maru and Maru-Gurjara temples (Pratihara period and after): Osian (Jodhpur), Abhaneri’s Harshat Mata temple (Dausa), Kiradu (Barmer), Baroli (near Rawatbhata)
• Jain temples: Dilwara at Mount Abu (Vimal Vasahi and Luna Vasahi), Ranakpur (built in Rana Kumbha’s reign, with its many pillars), Osian’s Mahavira temple, Rishabhdev (Kesariyaji)
• Mewar temples: Eklingji (Kailashpuri), the Sas-Bahu temples at Nagda, Jagat’s Ambika temple, Meera temple and Kumbhashyam temple at Chittor
• Other well-known shrines: Brahma temple (Pushkar), Bhand Devra (Ramgarh, Baran), Harshnath (Sikar), Govind Devji (Jaipur), Shrinathji (Nathdwara), Karni Mata (Deshnok)
• Elements of the Nagara temple: jagati, mandovara, mandapa, garbhagriha, shikhara, torana

Forts

• Types of forts in the traditional texts: giri (hill), jal (water), dhanva (desert), van (forest), parikh (moat) and parigh (earthen or stone wall) forts
• The Hill Forts of Rajasthan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2013): Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambhore, Gagron, Amber and Jaisalmer
• Chittorgarh: Vijay Stambh, Kirti Stambh, Padmini palace, Gaumukh kund; Kumbhalgarh and its long fortification wall; Gagron as a water fort (Kali Sindh and Ahu)
• Other forts: Mehrangarh (Jodhpur), Junagarh (Bikaner, a ground fort), Taragarh (Ajmer and Bundi), Jaigarh and Nahargarh (Jaipur), Lohagarh (Bharatpur, mud ramparts), Bhatner (Hanumangarh), Jalore, Siwana, Achalgarh

Palaces, havelis and cenotaphs

• Palaces: City Palaces of Udaipur and Jaipur, Hawa Mahal (1799, Sawai Pratap Singh), Jal Mahal, Lake Palace (Jag Niwas) and Jag Mandir, Umaid Bhawan (Jodhpur), Lalgarh (Bikaner), Badal Mahal
• Havelis: Patwon ki Haveli, Nathmal ki Haveli and Salim Singh ki Haveli (Jaisalmer); the painted havelis of Shekhawati (Mandawa, Nawalgarh, Ramgarh, Fatehpur)
• Cenotaphs (chhatris): Gaitore (Jaipur), Bada Bagh (Jaisalmer), Devi Kund (Bikaner), Jaswant Thada (Jodhpur), the 84-pillared cenotaph (Bundi), Ahar (Udaipur)
• Islamic monuments: Adhai Din ka Jhonpra and the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (Ajmer), Tarkin Dargah (Nagaur)
• Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (Sawai Jai Singh II; UNESCO World Heritage Site, 2010) and the Walled City of Jaipur (UNESCO, 2019)

Man-made waterbodies

• Stepwells (baori, bawdi): Chand Baori (Abhaneri), Raniji ki Baori (Bundi), Toorji ka Jhalra (Jodhpur)
• Kund, jhalra, talab, nadi (village pond), tanka (covered cistern), beri, khadin (run-off farming bunds of the desert)
• Historic man-made lakes: Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Udai Sagar, Jaisamand (Dhebar) and Rajsamand (Mewar); Anasagar and Foy Sagar (Ajmer); Gadisar (Jaisalmer); Balsamand and Kaylana (Jodhpur); Siliserh (Alwar)

Schools of painting

• Origins: the Apabhramsha (western Indian) manuscript style; Shravak Pratikraman Sutra Churni (Ahar, 1260) among the earliest dated works
• Mewar school: Chavand (Nisardin’s Ragamala), Udaipur (Sahibdin, Manohar), Nathdwara (pichhwai), Devgarh
• Marwar school: Jodhpur, Bikaner (Ali Raza, the Usta artists), Kishangarh (Nihal Chand, Bani Thani, under Sawant Singh ‘Nagaridas’), Jaisalmer, Nagaur, Ghanerao
• Hadoti school: Bundi (rain, animals and birds, the Chitrashala of Ummed Singh) and Kota (hunting scenes)
• Dhundhar school: Amber, Jaipur (portraits and court scenes), Alwar, Uniara, Shekhawati
• Features of Rajasthani painting: themes (Krishna-lila, Ragamala, Barahmasa, Nayika-bheda, court and hunt), colours, Mughal influence
• Folk painting: Phad (scroll of Pabuji and Devnarayan, painted by the Joshi families of Shahpura and Bhilwara), Kavad (portable painted shrine, Bassi), Pichhwai, Mandana (floor and wall designs), Sanjhi, fresco (ara-gish) and Thapa

Handicrafts

• Textiles: Sanganeri and Bagru hand-block prints, Dabu (mud-resist) print of Akola, Ajrakh (Barmer), bandhej and leheriya tie-dye, Kota Doria (Kaithun), durries of Salawas (Jodhpur), namda (felt) of Tonk
• Pottery and clay: blue pottery of Jaipur, terracotta plaques of Molela, Pokaran pottery
• Metal and jewellery: meenakari and kundan (Jaipur), Thewa (gold on glass, Pratapgarh), koftgari (inlay on metal), lac bangles
• Others: usta (gold work on camel hide, Bikaner), mojari and jutti (Jodhpur), kathputli puppets, wooden toys and Kavad (Bassi), marble carving (Makrana), Sanganer hand-made paper
• Geographical Indication (GI) items of Rajasthan, for example Kota Doria, Blue Pottery of Jaipur, Molela clay work, Kathputlis of Rajasthan, Sanganeri and Bagru prints, Thewa art work, Makrana marble

Overlaps

Art and culture return in Mains Paper I (Unit I, Part A: performing and fine arts, handicraft, architecture and monuments, heritage and tourism) and in the Essay theme on tourism and culture in Mains Paper IV.