Monkeys and Bears Fighting in the Madhuvana Grove

Monkeys and Bears Fighting in the Madhuvana Grove 

by Pandit Seu, Guler School
1720 AD.

        The Pahari School began its journey from Basohli. It reached its first stoppage at Guler via Chamba. At Guler it was not only more refined qua the line, the colour, but also qua composition and themes.Here notice the flowing lines, the structured composition,  the unusual theme. The credit for the transformation and improvement in Guler goes to Pandit Seu and his family.  Pandit Seu' s family produced a series of great artists who will eventually lead the Pahari paintings to its best School--the Kangara Kalam (brush).
         In this painting Pandit Seu has depicted a minor incident from the Ramayana. After Hunuman ji discoverd Sita ji' whereabouts,  the monkeys were overjoyed.  On the way back to Lord Ram, they discovered a grove full of intoxicating honey--Madhuvan (the forest of honey). They not only invaded it, not only damaged it, but also faught with the Bears who were protecting it. The pack of monkeys were led by Hanumanji and Angad. Here we see the monkeys fighting the bears.
         Pandit Seu portrays the life in a jungle which is lawless and cruel. Here the strongest kills the weak; in civilized society there is Rule of Law where the strongest protects the weak. The artist paints the stark difference for us. He does not want us to go back to the jungle Raj.