RASA-CHITRAS OF BHARAT: THE DIVINE VISION OF ANCIENT ART
Be it the stately walls of the Royal Cities of Ujjayini or the timeless murals of the Ajanta Caves nestled in the majestic Sahyadri Hills, the Rasachitram of Bharat stands as a beacon of artistic mastery and sacred expression. Across over 2,000 years, Bharat has preserved a continuous legacy of spiritual and aesthetic devotion—an artistic tradition not merely decorative, but profoundly meaningful. From frescoes bathed in natural light to narratives rendered in vivid mineral pigments, every stroke reflects a civilisation steeped in both scholarship and soul.
RASA-CHITRAS
SAHYADRI-AJANTA - 100 BC
The art of Bharat is emphatically emotive, ritualistic, and deeply symbolic, known in tradition as Rasa-Chitras—paintings that awaken ‘rasa’, the aesthetic emotion. These are not mere visual artefacts; they are sacred expressions that embody the Chetana in the art of Bharat, the vital spirit that breathes life into form.
The creation of such works was not left to improvisation. The prescriptive manuals on Art, meticulous and expansive, guided artists with precision and spiritual intention. Among these, Chitralakshnam, Vishnu Dharmottata Puranam, Shilparatnam, Samarangana-Sutradhara, Aparajitaprccha, Brihat Samhitam, and Abhilashitartha-Chintamani (Manasollasa) stand as pillars of wisdom. Each text offered more than technique—they articulated a worldview where proportion, emotion, divinity, and discipline coalesced. Through these texts, a prescriptive approach ensured consistency in artistic practice. These manuals were not just guides; they were a heritage.
TECHNIQUES OF IMMORTALITY: TALA-MANA AND VISUAL SCIENCE
The Vinaya Pitaka of 300 B.C. records a time when even kings like Prasenjit held private galleries, so compelling were the images that Bhikkhunis were forbidden entry. Such reverence stemmed from the remarkable precision involved in creating them.
Every image was composed with paramount attention to Tala-Mana in Bharat Art—the proportional measurements underpinning aesthetic balance. Symmetry, spatial harmony, and foreshortening in paintings of Bharat (Kshaya-Vriddhi) weren’t stylistic choices; they were sacred imperatives. This rigorous system ensured that the depicted form radiated a divine essence, even if its physical size varied from proportional intent. Here, physical size was secondary to spiritual proportion.
The Rekha in the art of Bharat, or the fundamental ‘line’, was where creation began. From this line sprang life, or Chetana, the pulse of authenticity that transformed pigments into presence. Proportional scales in Bharat Art classified figures into Uttama, Madhyama, and Adhama, with the Dasha-Tala standing as the supreme form—ten-fold measurements that rendered the human body as sacred geometry. Within these frameworks, sub-measurements in Bharat Art allowed nuanced detailing that further enriched visual storytelling.
INTERCONNECTION OF THE ARTS IN BHARATAM
Bharat never isolated artforms. There existed a powerful interconnection of all arts in Bharatam—where painting, music, dance, and drama flourished as unified expressions. This dynamic symphony is echoed in both form and function: an image wasn’t complete unless it sang, moved, or emoted in silence. Such was the vision of the Golden Age of Bharat Art—an era where art wasn’t created for pleasure alone, but as an offering to the divine.
”SASVASA IVA YACCHITRAM TACCITRAM SUBHALAKSHANAM”
[Vishnu Dharmottara]
A painter should make the picture alive, depicting life movement or Chetana.
Below an unknown artist has tried to replicate a few portraits of Ajanta.
Kamasutra of Vatsyayana, explains that painting has six limbs (shadanga)- rupabheda (distinction of form), pramana (proportion), bhava and lavanyayojana (the infusion of emotion and grace), sadrshya (likeness or verisimilitude), vamika bhanga (division of colour).
Woman potrayed in cave 17,Ajanta
Bagh cave paintimg,Madhya Pradesh
EXPERIENCE TIMELESS BEAUTY IN A MODERN REALM
From the woman portrayed in Cave 17 of Ajanta to the Bagh cave paintings of Madhya Pradesh, the echoes of Bharat’s eternal brushstrokes continue to captivate. And now, you can witness them anew.
Experience our online Virtual Exhibitions here. Step into the world where the divinity of art in Bharat still breathes through digital corridors.
JOIN RE-SEARCH HINDU
OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS!
JOIN RE-SEARCH HINDU
OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS!
We extend an evocative invitation to all artists, students, and seekers—to learn from the Chitrashastras and embrace the ancient Rasachitram of Bharat. Paint, draw, or design—in any medium, including digital—and imbue your creation with proportion, grace, and Chetana.
Instruction model – Chitrasutra.
Two outstanding works will be rewarded with prizes:
SUNYAM and ANANTAM – £1000 each.
Submit Your Artwork, Learn More About Chitrashastras, and become part of a sacred continuum where technique meets transcendence. This is an online opportunity to explore the depths of Indian artistic heritage, and a chance to study ancient prescriptive manuals.