The 19th-century Vaishnava temples of Sui and Burj are adorned with paintings illustrating episodes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, Krishna Leela, and other epics. Such temples are found scattered across the Jammu area of Kashmir.
The paintings offer a vivid glimpse into Jammu society of the period. They cover a range of subjects, from war and palace life to the smallest details, such as the type of utensils used, prevalent architectural designs, and garments in vogue.
These works belong to the Pahari school of art, which flourished in the foothills of the western Himalayas from the 17th to 19th century. Different types of minerals, oils and semi-precious stones were used to make the colours to paint the walls. Layers of lime plaster were applied on the wall before the paintings were made.
From the article ‘Mural Paintings from Jammu: Sui and Burj Temples’ by Navjot Kour.
