Vijay JoshiStone colour on Canvas Hand-made Cotton CanvasThis magnificent artwork is a grand specimen of Phad painting. It is based on one of the most importantbattles fought in the history of India – the Battle of Haldighati(1576). Fought between Maharana Pratap of Mewar and Raja Man Singh from the Mughal side, this is perhaps one of the few battles that are consequential, despite being inconclusive.Phad painting originated about 600 years ago in Shahpura, Bhilwara, Rajasthan. Traditionally, all the prerequisites were made at home with utmost care and precision. The colours are made from different coloured stones, with additional naturally occurring substances added for longevity and vividness. The base is usually home-made khadi cotton, but occasionally canvas is used as well.Exquisite detailing is the characteristic feature of this artform, and requires precision, meticulous attention to detail and most importantly, patience.Majorly adorned in red, yellow and green; this form of art has seen a revival in recent times, with artists willing to step out of mythological and historically important stories for themes. Among the artforms that have seen promising revival trends, Phad painting leads the block owing to continuous efforts of the artists and public response.The unique tiled design of the artwork is symbolic of the crests and troughs of the battlefield. Each block holds a story, with the narration running from the left pane of the artwork to the right pane.The left pane of the painting shows Akbar’s court, where Man Singh, the king of Amer, is an attendee. Akbar had been trying to coax Maharana into the Mughal side since a long time, and not getting any results made him very angry. He ordered to launch an offensive against Maharana which was carried out by Man Singh, who also happened to be Maharana’s relative. Sequentially arranged (L-R), some of the details given life in this panorama are:• Launching the battle with the cavalry• Escalation of battle from spears/lances to swords and the commanders fightingupfront• Maharana’s attempt to defeat Man Singh• Chetak’s leg slashed by the sword wielded by Man Singh’s elephant• Chetak crossing a stream to take Rana to safety. • Reconciliation of Rana and his brother, Shakti Singh Depiction:Maharana Pratap was a fiercely independent and assertive king of Mewar, who had rebuffed Akbar’s attempts at integration numerous times. When he staunchly refused to accede to Akbar’s conditions, a war was inevitable.As the battle raged on, Maharana made a risky manoeuvre by leaping onto Raja Man Singh’s battle elephant and fatally wounding the mahout. Raja Man Singh however, escaped unhurt from the baffled beast; while the sword wielded by the elephant wounded Chetak, Rana’s prized steed. Rana managed to escape, having sustained multiple wounds. While dodging Mughal soldiers who tried to track him down, Rana was bought precious time by none other than Shakti Singh, who was Rana’s brother and a part of the Mughal army; but underwent a change of heart upon seeing Rajput valour. With a new found sense of ferocious pride and dignity, Shakti Singh fended off the Mughals while Rana escaped to safety. Rana’s beloved steed Chetak succumbed to death after transporting him to safety. The spot where he died was later converted to a memorial in the honour of Chetak. The battle concluded with no clear winners, and eventually Maharana Pratap won back all the territories that had been lost to Mughals since 1568.All these crucial details have been generously given form on this beautiful artwork.This painting portrays not only the conflicts as a battle but also the bond between Rana Pratap and his brother- Shakti Singh. The end of the battle can be seen where Shakti Singh comesat the rescue of his injured brother, who is being chased by Mughal troops. Vivid andintricate, grand and detailed, this piece by Vijay Joshi is a magnum opus; a mesmerizingpanorama of an ambiguous victory.About the Artist:Vijay Joshi is one of the emerging and contemporary artists from a long line of illustriousartists of Phad painting. He received the training at Shahpura’s Nonpareil Phad Art underthe guidance of his National Award-winning father. Apart from working on the traditionalthemes of Phad art viz. Pabuji, Devnarayan, Ramdala etc, who are mythological figures inthe region; Joshi has experimented with various alternate themes such as MahatmaGandhi’s life, Amitabh Bachhan’s life, important battles in history, Airavata etc. He has thedistinction of conducting several workshops, putting his works on display at galleries acrossthe nation, and displaying artworks at the Commonwealth Games, 2010.A strong advocate of telling stories that need to be told, Mr. Joshi gave life to this masterpiece to honour the valour of the great king, Maharana Pratap.