One brushstroke at a time, an artist dedicated to conserving Kangra miniature art
With several accolades, including the Himachal Excellency Award and the Kalidas Sammaan, Dhani Ram, a native of the Kangra district’s hamlet Dhugiari, has become one of the area’s most sought-after artists.
His efforts to advance the Kangra miniature painting tradition have earned him recognition on a local and federal level. Motivated by his father, Munshi Ram, Dhani Ram chose to take up the old art form as a pastime.
Ram met seasoned Pahari miniature painter Chandu Lal Raina, as nothing is impossible for a motivated heart.
“I first met Guruji in 1988 during a workshop on the Guru Shishya Parampara organized by the state’s Language and Culture Department. Having come from a family of poor farmers, I knew nothing at all about this magnificent art form. With a strong commitment, I started with the fundamentals and the adventure began, despite my personal worries and misgivings,” said Dhani Ram, sometimes letting go.
Over the course of three decades, the artist has developed himself with pure hard work and determination. He picked up the basics of this once-popular but now disappearing art form that originated in the highlands at the beginning of the eighteenth century.
He sought out another mentor, Padma Shri winner and one of the most well-known miniature painters of our day, Vijay Sharma, to help him refine his techniques and grasp the finer points of this craft.
Dhani Ram is well-known in the state’s artistic circles these days. Several dignitaries have received his paintings as keepsakes. He has mastered the subtleties of line and vividness of color, which are the hallmarks of the Kangra painting style.
Over 300 pupils have learned about this art form from Dhani Ram, who is committed to its preservation and development.
“I’ve devoted my entire life to Kangra paintings, and the golden age of Kangra painting is soon to return,” he said. His love for tiny paintings from Kangra led to the establishment of the Ram Art Gallery.
