BUNDI:

Patrick Bell, an Australian tourist, came to Bundi to enjoy the impressive architecture of grand havelis and palaces. But the beauty of miniature paintings fascinated him so much that he has started taking lessons in this centuries-old traditional art form. So much so that he plans to stay in Bundi town, about 190 km from Jaipur, for the rest of his tour in India.

“It’s so breathtakingly beautiful that you fall in love instantly. I am not going to leave this place without grasping every aspect of this art,” an excited Patrick said. The miniaturists of Bundi have got a new lease of life these days in the form of foreign admirers like Patrick. Tourists from all over the world have emerged as survivors of this ancient art form. “Tourists have breathed new life into the art. The number of tourists coming every year to Bundi has increased and the profits are satisfactory,” a miniaturist said. “The paintings of Lord Krishna’s life, daily routine of kings and queens, war, hunting, festivals, possessions and wild life are most popular themes among tourists,” Prahlad Soni, another miniaturist, said. “Sales have increased as tourists like to take these paintings to their country as souvenirs.” Soni added. Artists use paper, marbles and clothes to draw the paintings. These paintings are done with utmost care and in minute detail, with str-ong lines and bold colours set in harmonious patterns. Bundi is one of the few places in India that can lay claim to an authentic school of painting, the Bundi School. Apart from portraits, hunting and royal court scenes have been the favourite theme of Bundi artists. — HNS