Basali is a town located in the foot-hills of Shivalik mountains in Kathua District of Jammu Division.
In the late 17th century, Basali emerged as a great centre of painting. According to well known Dr. Herman Goltz, "Basali painting are among the great achievements of Indians". Their central inspiration is vashnavism, the themes have been taken from the epics and the puranas.
The different themes of the paintings are religious (Gita Govinda and Ramayana), secular, historical, contemporary and literary. Besides the paintings bring out extreme emotion combined with a lyrical sense of Basali landscape.
Basali paintings are said to have been described as Poems in colours. The paintings are marked by strikingly blazing colours bold lines, rich symbols and peculiar features giving an accumulative impact of highly sensuous environs.
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