Rare Basohli paintings displayed on World Heritage Day at Jammu Museum

STATE TIMES NEWS

Jammu: On World Heritage Day, the Jammu and Kashmir government showcased hundreds of rare and ancient Basohli paintings at a museum here in a bid to popularise this 17th-century miniature art.
Several people visited the Dogra Art Museum on Tuesday to see the paintings. A live demonstration on how to make Basohli paintings by artist Dheeraj Kapoor attracted hundreds of visitors, particularly children.
The Basohli paintings from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district has obtained the Geographical Indication (GI) tag following an approval by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on April 3.
The GI tag to a product, goods or specialty grants legal protection to the original producers and prevents their unauthorised use by third parties. It also boosts exports, promotes the goods at the international level and brings economic prosperity to producers and stakeholders.
Vikas Gupta, director, handicraft and handlooms department, said the GI tag will give a fillip to the Basohli painting industry, help artisans get better returns and also create a brand value for their products.
“There is a need to save the heritage art. The department will register those who want to practice it and we will set up a common facility centre at Basohli to provide them all facilities under one roof,” Gupta told PTI. “The main theme of today’s event is to highlight Basohli paintings,” he said. Gupta said children and adults were informed about Basohli paintings.