12-day painting camp starts at Kalagram

A 12-day miniature painting camp on the theme ‘Raagmala’ being organised by the North Zone Culture Centre (NZCC), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, started at Kalagram, Manimajra, here yesterday.

The camp aimed at reviving the rich and rare art forms facing constant threats of extinction has come as a blessing in disguise for city art enthusiasts.

The NZCC has invited top-ranking painters from Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, who will recreate the magic of their craft, offering an insight into the historic miniature paintings and their ground-breaking efforts to protect and preserve them for posterity.

Prominent among the participants are Vijay Sharma (Padma Shri), Khush Narayan Jangid, Ram Swaroop Sharma, Jai Shankar Sharma, Preekshit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar Dhiman, Deepak Bhandari , Krishan Kant Sharma ‘Chhotu’, Mandeep Sharma, Anshu Mohan, Rajesh Soni, Arvind Kumar, Bhuvneshvar Kumar and Bhupinder Sharma.

These art forms under ‘Raagmala’ are believed to have emerged between the 16th and 19th centuries, often intertwined with music, poetry and the subtle art of evoking the essence of specific ragas.