Immortal Miniatures: From the Collection of National Museum, New Delhi

India’s great spiritual and aesthetic past, outside influences, and a six hundred years ever changing political, social and religious scenario greatly diversified both, the theme and the style of Indian miniatures. In its few inches length and width the canvas of an Indian miniature is seen translating into its lines and colours the legends of ages, faith of generations, eternal yearnings of those who were in love, glow of youthful faces, serenity of soul, sublimation of temporal aspirations, dimensions of tiny human efforts, emotions of pain and pleasure, and all that scripts and lingual media would have covered volumes to express. Attitudes of mind like love, devotion, dedication, joy, agony, pain, prowess, or languish, and abstractions like raga, ragini, mantra, yantra, or yoga take in these miniature paintings visual, or rather human forms seeking to express themselves through material means. The formal architecture and conceptual nature which constitute the background, the ornamental borders, fine lines, perfect balance, formative proportions, co-existing human and animal world, scenic vividness, bright colours and sharp features of lively figures seen dressed in bright costumes and in graceful ornaments, and beyond all, a touch of India’s age long art tradition, blend to create an Indian miniature. Indian miniatures are the timeless manifestations of India’s great creative genius and the witness of her great aesthetic journey through eight hundred years. They define India, her people, her life way, culture and the great tradition of her past. Though without a tongue, without eyes these tiny creatures better speak of her thought and the apex of her creative endeavour.