‘Haripura Panels’ come to Bengaluru for the first time

National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) Bengaluru will showcase painter Nandalal Bose’s ‘Haripura Panels’, considered national treasures, for the first time, starting next week. The show will be on view until April 2024.

The ‘Haripura Panels’ is a series of 400 watercolour posters, depicting the everyday life of villagers in India. It is among Bose’s most popular works, done on handmade paper with organic colours. It was commissioned by Mahatma Gandhi and was used as a backdrop for the 51st session of the Indian National Congress in 1938. The session took place in Haripura, Gujarat, and was attended by over 2 lakh people.

The upcoming show will mount 77 of these panels and it will be the first such comprehensive showcase in India, says Nazneen Banu, director of NGMA Bengaluru and Mumbai. “This exhibition has been in the works for five to six years,” she tells Metrolife.

Hailing from West Bengal, Bose was one of the pioneers of modern Indian art. He was a pupil of Abanindranath Tagore and was deeply influenced by Indian murals such as paintings at the Ajanta caves. Over time, he became popular for adding an Indian touch to his artwork.

To create the ‘Haripura Panels’, Bose spent several weeks in Vithalnagar, a village near Haripura, observing the daily life of the locals. Each panel depicts a different village scene — a farmer tilling the land, a mother bathing her child, a female artist painting in solitude, a horse chariot adorned with the tricolour, and a woman churning butter. He also painted animals, flowers, and plants on these posters.

“These pieces of art are as relevant today as they were decades ago. The subject focuses on ordinary people. It gives a lot of insight into rural life and the self-sustaining rural economy. More than 50% of Indians still reside in villages and their daily lives largely remain the same,” says Nazneen. 

The exhibition will also put on display a copy of the manuscript of ‘Constitution of India’, featuring illustrations done by Bose. A lino-cut print of Mahatma Gandhi leading the Dandi March, done by Bose, will also be exhibited.

The exhibition will be inaugurated on November 3, 3.30 pm, at NGMA, Vasanth Nagar. On view until April 28, 2024.