During this period, artists trained in the Mughal painting workshops began to journey through Rajasthan in search of new ways to develop their art. In 1658, after Aurangzeb had risen to the throne of the Mughal Emperor, there was a decline in Mughal painting workshops, as Aurangzeb was more interested in architecture than visual art. In the 17th century, these regional art styles flourished enormously in the midst of a crisis. The Pahari and Rajput traditions of art are intricately associated with Mughal art. Rama and Sita Enthroned, image courtesy of architecturaldigest.in Together, these two mediums effectively accompany one another to convey the narrative and emphasize the richness of Indian art and textile practices. The paintings represent a single event and are closely related to the text of the Ramayana, while the textiles present main characters and climatic events such as the final battle between Rama and Ravana. The chosen artworks provide clear visual illustrations of this Sanskrit narrative and effectively cover its multiple dimensions across two mediums. The 2,500 year old text recounts the life of King Rama, the abduction of his wife Sita by the evil King of Lanka, Ravana, his confrontation with Ravana and the subsequent rescue of Sita. These three paintings demonstrate the sacred position of the Ramayana in Hindu tradition and practice today. It includes a 19th century painting titled Tantric Form of Monkey God Hanuman, a 19th century masterpiece entitled Rama, Sita, Laxamana Begin Their Life in the Forest which embodies a Pahari tradition of painting, and a rare 18th century textile piece titled The Combat of Rama and Ravana. The highlight of the exhibition are three incredible works of art shown in rotations. The images hold intense themes of morality, kinship and RamaвЂ™s status as the divine embodiment of Vishnu. The exhibition also includes a variety of textiles from all over South Asia, artworks depicting the hero RamaвЂ™s rescue of his beloved wife, Sita, from the capture of Ravana, a wicked demon with ten heads. Created during the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries by the Rajput and Pahari courts of northern India, these magnificent paintings are still on show today. The paintings in the exhibition illustrate the collective creativity of the Ramayana, an epic narrative written by the Sanskrit poet Valmiki around the fifth century B.C. Each band is distinctively drawn with a floral band separating the sections very intelligently.In August 2019, the Metropolitan Museum of Art launched its latest exhibition on Sita and Rama: The Ramayana in Indian Painting. Instead, Hanuman grew into a giant and used his tail as a bridge for the army to cross to Lanka.The use of bright red background is characteristic of the Cherial paintings where mostly primary colours are employed. In the Thai Ramakien, there is no bridge building activity. In the epic poem, Ramacharitmanas, the building of the bridge was a miraculous act that was accomplished through faith and devotion. This scene is presented differently in different tellings of the tale. The last section at the bottom of the picture shows the battle with the demons, and the leaders of the monkey army paying homage to Rama.The building of the bridge is one of the most memorable scenes from the Ramayana, which heightens the excitement and anticipation of the war. An interesting detail in this part of the painting is a squirrel that helped to build the bridge by soaking itself in water and sand and rolling over the stones to bind them together.The second section shows the monkey army marching across the bridge towards Lanka. Here, many aquatic creatures are shown in the sea. The top section shows how the monkeys built the causeway by throwing boulders into the sea. The horizontal layout of this painting follows the scroll painting tradition of Andhra Pradesh.

Ramayana painting