ROYAL HOLI

Hindi

(It’s a looking mirror and this art is known as Mirror Engraving)

In this painting the artist is showing how holi the festival of colours was palyed in Mughal period. One of the major festivals of India, Holi is celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun which is the month of March as per the Gregorian calender. Holi is an ancient festival of india and was originally known as “Holika”. The festival finds a detailed description in early regious works such as Jaimini’s Purvamimamsa-Sutras and Katha-Grhya-Sutras. Historians also believe that holi was celebrated by all the Aryans also. A stone inscription belonging to 300 BC found at Ramgarh in the province of Vidhya has mention of Holikotsav in his wore Ratnavali that was written during the 7th century. The famous tourist- Ulbaruni too has mentioned about holikotsav in his historical memories. According to the other Muslim writters of that period it is mentioned that holi was not only celebrated by Hindus but also by Muslims. In 13th century, Amir Khusrau(1253-1325) is said to have written many verses in celebration of Holi. The Mughal Emperor Akbar encouraged syncratism and tolerance. During his reign, all festivals were celebrated with equal gusto and it was a practice that was followed by all his successors barring Aurangzeb. Holi at the time of Mughals was also quite interesting.During the Mughal period on the occasion of holi, fairs used to be setup on the bank of river Yamuna, behind the Red Fort. The way of playing holi Akbar with Jodha Bai and of Jahangir with Noorjahan is quite same. In Alwar museum there is an ancient painting in which Jahangir is playing holi which is the proof of that time. In ancient Mughal times holi festival was called as Eid-e-Gulabi or Aab-e-Pashi.It is also said that during the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Jaffar his ministers used to go to colour him on the day of holi. At the medivial period of Krishna also there is a beautiful discription of holi.In this painting the king is shown playing holi with her queen pixilated in the aeroma of colours and music and colour splashed on them by queen’s sakhis(friends) makes this painting more intresting.