Indi Architecture is organizing a master class on Mohrakashi in May and here’s why you shouldn’t miss it
Indi Architecture - a social business with the aim of promoting and conserving traditional knowledge and skills related to vernacular architectural traditions - is offering a five-day hands-on course with Master Artisan Gurpreet Singh Mankoo to spread awareness about the ancient art of Mohrakashi.
The workshop will include an explanation of the technique of Mohrakashi fresco painting and base supplies, like the three basic lime plasters needed as a fresco base, approaches on how to make designs and transfer them to plaster, as well as how to prepare and apply natural stone colours.
Mohrakashi is a Punjabi fresco tradition which rose to popularity in the 18th century when the initiative was taken by Maharaja Jassa Singh Ahluwalia (1718–83) and Misl Sikh chieftains to restore Darbar Sahib, which still remains today. The expansion of Mohrakashi at this time gave rise to the Sikh school of art, with frescoes dominated by floral and foliage themes influenced by the Kangra school of painting. The stone pigments in a water-based solution are carried inside the plaster and set as the plaster dries, producing incredibly durable artworks that can last thousands of years. Mohrakashi frescoes decorate gurudwaras, temples, cenotaphs, havelis, dharamshalas, and ankharas throughout Punjab.
If you are not convinced about the need to take the workshop, let us give you a compellig reason - it will take place at Kangra's beautiful Nandpur Fort.
Your teacher, Mankoo, has worked on the restoration of frescos in the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where he was able to admire and discern the strokes of Mohrakashi's great masters. His affinity for Mohrakashi inspired him to undertake repair work on the figurative motif on the inside walls of Krishan Mandir – a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. The current workshop focuses on the revival of the highly acclaimed Kangra Miniature Art which prospered under the Guler Kingdom. Attendees will be provided with a five-day stay, single, twin and triple sharing room options, and vegetarian meals for all three times.
The Information
Date: May 14, 2022 to May 18, 2022
Venue: Nandpur, Himachal Pradesh (60kms from Dharamshala)
Fees: Rs12,000 plus accommodation as per choice