From the Jacket

Wall painting was a fascinating art which has become defunct now on account of changing fashions and techniques of decorating and embellishing buildings. Under the impact of modernism, patronage of wall paintings melted away and with it the know-how of the preparation of special plaster for the wall and colour for paintings also sank down to oblivion. Consequently, the muralists disappeared as also this art with them. But during the centuries it was popular all over the country, it created a large bulk of pictures on walls most of which were of high water mark, as well as important as visual representation of the cultural trends in society for which these were painted. But unfortunately the medium, the plaster and colour, was most liable to disfiguration and dispigmentation on account of its constant exposure to atmospheric vagaries and human neglect. The result is that wall paintings have terribly suffered, and the surviving ones are also in danger of total disappearance. The same had been the case in Jammu and Kangra Hills.

Realising the inevitability of their disappearance Dr. Charak devised a plan for their documented photo-preservation, which he worked out with punctilious comprehensibility with the aid of Jammu University as its Emeritus Fellow for five years. The result is a voluminous work on each mural center. The present book gives a panoramic view of Pahari murals in the context of technical and readable commentary on the outstanding specimens of the art and its technique which survive to this day.

Dr. Charak as pioneer in higher female education founded Arya College for women at Pathankot and was also the Founder-Principal of an H. P. University College In Kangra District (H. P.). He became associated with Jammu University in 1977 as Senior Fellow I.C.H.R. and retired as Reader in Medieval History and Culture, after with he was awarded Emeritus Fellowship from 1985 to 1990 in the same University.

His lasting contribution is in the field of historical research and publication with some 20 books on history and culture to his credit, including 9 on History and Culture of Himalayan States (which are in progress), 2 annotated English translations of Persian histories-Gulabnama and Rajadarshani and a book on Gen. Zorawar Singh published by Pub. Div., Govt. of India. He has written over 50 research papers and articles on various facets of history, culture and art. As member of National Editorial Board for Govt. of India Project People of India, he has edited volumes on Jammu and Kashmir. He is also member of Advisory Committee for Development and Promotion of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, J&K State, and Dogri Encyclopaedia Sub-Committee J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.

Dr. (Mrs.) Anita K. Billawaria did her M. A. in History (1981) on Wall Paintings of Jammu City from the University of Jammu. The same University has conferred on her Ph. D. degree for her thesis entitled Brahmanical Religious Art in Jammu Region, 1700 to 1900 A.D., in 1986. Both her research works have been published. She has provided historical annotations to Rajadarshani, a Persian MS on history of Jammu, translated into English by Dr. Sukhdev Singh Charak. She is also co-author with Dr. Charak of History and Culture of Himalayan States, Vols. VII, VIII and IX on Socio-cultural History of Jammu, and has contributed chapters on art and socio-religious rites and customs. She has written over twenty-five papers on various facets of Art and Culture, which were presented in historian scholars' gatherings or published in journals and periodicals. In 1987 she was appointed Lecturer has been promoted to the Readers cadre, and put in charge of the newly created 'Regional Centre for History and Culture of Jammu and Ladakh' in the University with the designation of 'Senior Fellow'