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 Dada
Siba was a small state whose ruling dynasty was an offshoot of the house
of Kangra. Raja Ram Singh who ruled over the
state
about two hundred years ago,was a man of refined taste.
The
location of his palace on the top of a hill and the Radha-Krsna temple
built by him in the green thickness of a wooded place, seem to indicate
that he had a sense of beauty .The walls of this temple are covered with
murals.
The name of the artist (or artists) of these paintings is
not known. These are somewhat inferior in style to the paintings at
Dharamsal. A medley of themes are illustrated here.
The
drawing is flat with an accent on squat figures and the colouring lacks in
lustre; it consists mostly of dull shades of bottle green, red, orange and
brown which are covered with a lustreless varnish.
As
elsewhere in the hills, the and the cowherds and with Radha with whom he is
shown in dalliance. The theme of the subjugation of the Kaliya snake also
finds a place here, So does that of Krsna”s marriage with Rukmini, which
is seen in the pindori darbar murals too. There is besides, one panel
given to the theme of Kunjara -Kamini
Which is
but a group of women (Kamlni) " arranged in the shape and form of an
elephant (Kunjara), a theme which is quite popular with contempory
miniaturists .
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