On the dusty road going towards Nawalgarh from Mandawa, I encountered one of the finest pieces of Shekhawati art in a sleepy, quiet village of Parasrampuria. Shekhawati is frequented by travellers across the world for the frescoes in the erstwhile haveli(s) and the region has become a hot-spot for art-tourism in India. Parasrampuria/Parasrampura is a small village situated south-east of Nawalgarh in Rajasthan. Apart from a few old mansions and a temple, one of the main attractions in the village is a chhatri (cenotaph). From a distance, the chhatri of Shardul Singh does not reveal the treasure it holds. A small boundary wall restricts one’s entry to the chhatri which consists of a dome supported by twelve pillars. The inside panel in the dome compels one to stop and yes, get mesmerized. Here is where one faces an extraordinary ceiling covered with the finest frescoes one could ever find in Shekhawati. It contains the earliest and simplest form of miniature works from this region – red, black and tinge of yellow and green here and there.
No exuberance of colours, no mere experimentation in form or style, just simplicity at its best. The ceiling mainly contains stories from Ramayana with an extensive war scene depicting sundry soldiers. One of the panels shows Sita in Ashoka vatika while a small area covers the cavalcade of Ram-Lakshman. The subtlety with which the Ramayana war-scene is illustrated is unique and unparalleled in any Shekhawati murals. The ceiling also contains stories from the mythical Dhola-Maru and legendary life of Shardul Singh. The lower panel consisting of deities is another exquisite work, partly damaged and badly needs restoration. After closer inspection I could spot a few rarities in this panel: for instance, Shiva drawn in a folk style, a rare portrait of Lord Jagannath (rarely seen in Shekhawati frescoes) and an interesting Kaliya-daman episode where the flute of Krishna is drawn in the background so as not to mask his face.
A representation of the times then is witnessed through a delightful wrestling scene and a panel of courtiers and kings with a gamut of crowns and turbans differentiating one from the other. Interestingly, apart from elephants, horses and camels can be seen the portrayal of two dogs (resembling a modern day saluki perhaps) involved in the hunting/war front. The topmost panel display apsaras with musical instruments. The paintings are sequential narratives and resemble the ancient phad (par) painting style of Mewar region. The artist behind this amazing fresco at Parasrampuria is not known definitively.
We heard a gloomy story about the murals that how the artist’s hands were chopped, perhaps to ensure that this remarkable piece of work stays unique. We also came to know about Ram Papa, who was a prominent artist at that time.
There is an impending need to preserve the treasure created inside the chhatri at Parasrampuria and hopefully the Rajasthan Government and Archaeological Survey of India will join hands for the restoration and reconstruction as required. The Parasrampuria mural calls for urgent attention!
