Rajasthan: 18th-century Bundi paintings await restoration

Bundi (Rajasthan), Feb 9 (PTI) Intricate miniature wall paintings of the Chitrashala at the Taragarh Palace here have long drawn tourists in large numbers but decades of neglect is taking a toll on this 18th-century treasure.

Some of the paintings, crafted by Raja Rao Umed Singh, are chipping off. All of them lay bare for tourists to touch, scratch and rub.

The Chitrashala's mural-adorned galleries hold some of the finest work of the Bundi school of painting, known for its vivid colours, intricate brushwork and rich narratives.

The paintings at the Chitrashala depict the lives of Lord Krishna and his consort Radha, royal celebrations, and flora and fauna. The colours used in the paintings were extracted from natural substances.

The Chitrashala was declared a protected monument in 1951 and was transferred to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for conservation following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the then head of the Bundi royal family in 1973.

However, the work is yet to begin.

"Conservation work in the Chitrashala was started by the ASI in 2021 but was stopped due to some reasons," said Premshankar Sharma, Assistant Tourist Officer of Bundi, without elaborating.

While ASI officials here refused to comment on the Chitrashala’s neglect, a senior official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the historical treasure was perishing.

"We have budget issues. This year, the budget for heritage conservation was diverted to the World Heritage Convocation that was organised by the ASI in Delhi," the official said.

"Last year, the budget for heritage conservation in Bundi was diverted to conservation work at three sites – Kansuwa, Charchoma and Darra – in Kota on the directions of senior political leaders," he said.

The conservation and restoration of the Chitrashala is a top priority for the ASI and the work will start very soon in phases, the official said.

"The estimate for the work is ready and the necessary approvals have been obtained," he added.

During an informal interaction last month, Kota-Bundi MP Om Birla said though the protected monument was under the ASI, it was situated inside a private property and its owners were not allowing the conservation work to start.

However, Taragarh Palace manager J P Sharma claimed the ASI had sent unskilled labourers for the restoration of the priceless paintings of the Chitrashala and they had to be stopped.

"The Chitrashala is not a government property, it is a private property of the royal family of Bundi and part of the Taragarh Palace," he told PTI.

Yug Prasad, a Bundi school of painting artist, underlined the need to conserve these paintings for future generations.

"(Paintings in Chitrashala) really need maintenance, preservation and restoration... as they are really crumbling and falling off... If we are careless about it, the next generation will not see any such work," he said.

Toni, a British tourist visiting the Chitrashala with her husband, said, "Wall paintings in the Chitralshala are absolutely exquisite, I have never seen anything so beautiful. The details, the work and the story-telling are absolutely beautiful. It is a shame that they have been damaged," she said. PTI COR DIV DIV

Source: PTI