Art and Artists of Garhwal and Kumaun

Art of Himalaya
Himalayan Art and Artists
Art and Artists of Garhwal and Kumaun
Chaitu and Manku : Who Painted ‘Rape of the Yadav Women ‘ and ‘Krishna Tax from a Gopi’
Bhishma Kukreti

( Barrister Mukandi Lal is credited for popularizing the history of Garhwali ChitrKala or Garhwali art all over the globe. Dr Bhakt Darshan, Dr Shiv Prasad Dabral and dr Yashvant Singh Katoch, Dr shiv Prasad Naithani, Mohan Lal Babulkar, Dr Shiv Bahadur singh, Shri Budhi Ballabh Dyundi and Shrimati Durgavati Dyundi are praised for researches and popularizing Garhwali art and its history )

Chaitu and Manku brothers are famous artists of Garhwal, Himalaya . Though, there is no agreement among the historian for the village of Chaituand Manku and their life span, most of the historians and artists claim that Chaitu and Manku were contemporary artists of famous poet and artist Maularam (1743-1833)
Chaitu and manku were born in village Rampur of Chalansyun Patti, Pauri Garhwal. Dr Katoch says that Chitram or Chaitu and Manak Ram or Manku were the last of Phadi Kala (Garhwali art) generation.
Both lived in Shrinagar then the capital of Garhwal .
N C Mehta, Chakravatrti, Carl Khandlwala and Randhava did researches on Chaitu amnd Mankram .
The paintings named ‘ Yadviyon ka haran or Rapes on Yadav Women’ and ‘krishn Dwara Kar Vasuli or Tax by Krishna’ are famous paintings of Chaitu and there are signatures of Chaitram on both the paintings.
There is signature of ‘Chetaye te gher de‘ (From the house of Chaitu) ‘ on a painting ‘Rukmani Haran’ painting (is in Bharat Kala Sangrah)
According to N C Mehta, Manku is famous for ‘ Geet Govind’ paintings
There is distinct effects of Kangada style on all the paintings of Chaitu and Manku.. Krishna is in the dress of Mughul style.


Copyright @Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2010