KAPS and VOH will be conducting an Arts Appreciation Course on Kangra Art in June. The course aims to introduce the participants to Kangra miniature art and take them through the evolution of this magnificent art form.

1. KANGRA ARTS PROMOTION SOCIETY VOICE OF HIMACHAL
ARTS APPRECIATION COURSE
KANGRA MINIATURE ART
Kangra painting is the pictorial art of Kangra, Himachal The Kangra artists created an elegant style which enjoyed fame
Pradesh, a former princely state, which patronized the art. and glory for almost forty years. In the current age however,
The main centres of Kangra paintings are Guler, Basohli, Kangra miniature art has been on a decline. The Kangra Arts
Chamba, Nurpur, Bilaspur and Kangra, as also Mandi, Suket,
Promotion Society (KAPS) an NGO at Dharamshala, Himachal
Kulu, Arki, Nalagarh and Tehri Garhwal. These styles are
Pradesh is working for the promotion of this art which is on the
collectively known as Pahari painting. Under the patronage
of Maharaja Sansar Chand (1765-1823), the Kangra school verge of extinction today.
became the most important centre of Pahari painting.
KAPS was founded by Mr. B.K. Agarwal, Dr. Akshai Runchal
This great art originated in a small hill state ‘Guler’ in the and Mr. Bharat Khera with the purpose of ensuring that the
Lower Himalayas in the first half of the 18th century when tradition of Kangra Paintings and other arts passes on to the
a family of Kashmiri painters trained in Mughal
future generations. The objectives of KAPS are preservation of
painting style sought shelter at the court of Raja Dalip
Singh (1695-1741) of Guler. The new arrivals mingled with the arts of Kangra, encouragement of existing artists, starting a
the local artists and were greatly influenced by the school to teach the arts of Kangra and building a treasure of old
atmosphere of the hills. Bhakti cult was the driving force and new paintings for posterity. In addition to running a school
and the love story of Radha and Krishna has been the main to train the youth of Himachal Pradesh in this art, KAPS also
theme of the Kangra style of painting. The paintings are runs a workshop where genuine Kangra Paintings are made on
naturalistic and use cool, fresh colors extracted from traditional hand made paper using only mineral and vegetable
minerals, vegetables having enamel-like lustre. The faces
colours. Mr Dhani Ram Khushdil and Mr. Mukesh are the
are well modeled and shaded such that they possess almost
porcelain-like delicacy. master artists who train the students at the schools run by
KAPS.

2. The Kangra Arts Promotion Society and Voice of
Himachal will be conducting an Arts Appreciation
Course. This residential 3 day certificate course will
aim to introduce the participants to Kangra miniature art
and take them through the evolution of this magnificent
art form.
The course will cover:
 History of Kangra Miniature painting
 Famous works of the master Kangra artists
 Basic themes of Kangra paintings
 Fundamentals of Kangra art-colour mixing,
brushes, how to make the basic lines, etc
 Key elements that differentiate Kangra art from
other art-special paper, colours, thematic styles,
etc
 Making Kangra miniature paintings
 Exhibition of Kangra Paintings for the duration
of the course
Date: 24th June to 26th June
Venue: Jagori Campus at Sidhbari
Address: VPO Rakkar Sidhbari
Tehesil Dharmsala, District Kangra
Himachal Pradesh 176057
Facilities Provided:
 Accommodation at Jagori campus in Sidhbari,
for 3 days (24th, 25th and 26th) and 3 nights
(23rd, 24th and 25th)
 2 seater and 3 seater rooms available
 Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks through the
3 days
 Materials and other art resources for the course
Participants will be awarded a Certificate of
Participation and hand crafted Kangra art as
mementos.

3. KANGRA ARTS PROMOTION SOCIETY VOICE OF HIMACHAL
Fee: Rs 4700/-
This fee is not inclusive of transport arrangements
Participants will have an opportunity to meet and
interact with the famous Kangra master artist Mr.
Vijay Sharma. Mr Vijay Sharma is a distinguished art
critic and has written the first-ever Hindi book tracing
the history, expansion and other aspects of Kangra
paintings, titled ‘Kangra Ki Chitrankan Parampara’.
He received the National Award in 1990.
The master artists Mr. Dhani Ram and Mr. Mukesh
Kumar will conduct the workshop and take
participants through the intricacies of Kangra
paintings. Mr Dhani Ram trains the students at the
Chitera School of Art, conducting classes at the
Kangra Art Museum while Mr Mukesh conducts his
advanced classes at the Chamunda Devi temple.
Dr. Gautam Vyathit, is a renowned authority on folk
arts and culture. Mr B.K. Agarwal, the President of
KAPS, currently the Principal Resident
Commissioner of the State of Himachal Pradesh in
Delhi will also share his experiences and thoughts on
the miniature art forms.

4. Payment Process:
Cheque / DD for the fee amount may be made in
the name of “Voice of Himachal” and sent to:
Voice of Himachal
49, Civil Lines,
Dharamshala,
Himachal Pradesh-176 215
Online Bank Transfer may also be made to:
Voice of Himachal
Account No: 05241450000128
Bank: HDFC, Branch: The Mall Shimla
IFSC Code: HDFC0000524
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For further details, contact: Mr. Varun Singh
Mobile No. : +91 98055 10111
Email ID: varun.ratan@himvani.com