Painting of Assam

Painting of Assam, the art of manuscript painting in the Assam region developed through the movement of Vaishnavism. Vaishnava saints were primarily responsible for the establishment of manuscript painting tradition in Assam. A large number of manuscript paintings were done and copied during the 16th to 19th centuries. Assam has a very long history of visual art from the pre-historic age up to the end of Ahom rule in 1826 A.D. Among the earliest reference of Assam painting, the account of Chinese traveller Xuanzang records that King Bhaskaravarman of Kamarupa who was a friend of King Harsa of Kanauj presented the king “Carved boxes of panels for painting with brushes and gourds."^[1]

The tradition of manuscript painting in Assam was developed in direct response to the Neo-Vaisnavism introduced by the great leader, social reformer, Vaisnava saint Sankardev (1449-1568 A.D.) Most of these manuscripts have been produced on locally available and processed materials.

Manuscript leaves were made with locally available ingredients. The process of making sanchi pat was discussed by Sir E. A. Gait. Another material used for making manuscripts paper was tulapat but not as popular as sanchipat. The painters involved in the creation of paintings were organised under a khel/guild during the medieval period. The officer in-charge of this khel was known as Khanikar Boruah. The khanikar beside painting also knew art of making idols both of wood and of earth, masks for drama, mural paintings, wood carvings and Xorai.^[2]