Pahari Paintings of an Ancient Romance:The Love Story of Usha-Aniruddh, brings to our reach the entire run of the great romance Usha-Aniruddha, popular amongst the art patrons, during a certain period of history in India. It has been commissioned during the eigthteenth and nineteenth centuries by many Pahari aristocracy and states men. The romance was apt as a theme for illustration of rasa and bhava and most especially sringara rasa and in the production of illustrated manuscripts that could also be appropriate gifts. Many such works have come down to us and are housed in various collections both private and public. The book, to our benefit, has made the effort to bring together, the images of the original paintings. The reproductions are sleek and clear, representational of the best specimens extant for study. The authors begin with the subject of myth, history and legend. However, it was disappointing to realize that instead of dealing with the area so as to see how myth and legend can be sources to recover an aspect of the socio-intellectual life of a historical period, the authors’ confused understanding halts in equating mythology and its content as historical facts, to at least be taken as such, without co-relating it to established historical understanding and facts based on authentic documents, records and evidences.
July 2012, volume 36, No 7