RonAgnew292842 at 18:56, 30 December 2025

2025-12-30T18:56:18Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Basohli
| settlement_type = Town
| pushpin_map = India Jammu and Kashmir#India
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Jammu and Kashmir, India
| coordinates = {{coord|32.50|N|75.82|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[States and territories of India|Union Territory]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[List of districts of Jammu and Kashmir|District]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kathua district|Kathua]]
| established_title = 
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_rank =
| area_total_km2 =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 1200
| population_total = 5433
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_rank =
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_footnotes =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = [[Dogri language|Dogri]], [[Pahari language|Pahari]], [[Hindi]], [[English language|English]]
| timezone1 = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = 
| postal_code = 184201
| registration_plate =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}

[[File:Ganesha Basohli miniature circa 1730 Dubost p73.jpg|thumb|Shri [[Ganesha]] ({{circa|1730}}).<ref>National Museum, New Delhi. For description of the work see: Martin-Dubost (1997), p. 73, which says: "Ganesha getting ready to throw his lotus. Basohli miniature, circa 1730. National Museum, New Delhi. Attired in an orange dhoti, his body is enitirely red. On the three points of his tiny crown, budding lotuses have been fixed. {{IAST|Gaṇeśa}} holds in his two right hands the rosary and a cup filled with three modakas (a fourth substituted by the curving trunk is just about to be tasted). In his two left hands, {{IAST|Gaṇeśa}} holds a large lotus above and an axe below, with its handle leaning against his shoulder. In the {{IAST|Mudgalapurāṇa}} (VII, 70), in order to kill the demon of egotism ({{IAST|Mamāsura}}) who had attacked him, {{IAST|Gaṇeśa Vighnarāja}} throws his lotus at him. Unable to bear the fragrance of the divine flower, the demon surrenders to {{IAST|Gaṇeśa}}."
</ref>]]

'''Basohli''' (formerly Vishwasthali) is the name of a tehsil and town in [[Kathua district]] in the union territory of [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[India]]. It is situated on the right bank of the [[Ravi River|River Ravi]], at an altitude of 1876 ft. The town was founded by Raja Bhupat Pal sometime in 1635. It was known for the palaces which are now in ruins and [[Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999|GI]] tagged Pahari miniatures paintings (the Basohli school of [[Pahari painting]]).

Basohli is known for its unique '[[Basohli]] Paintings'. In the late 17th century, Basohli emerged as a great centre of Pahari paintings. According to well known Dr. Herman Goltz, "Basohli painting are among the great achievements of Indians". Their central inspiration is [[Vaishnavism|Vashnavism]], the themes have been taken from the [[Indian epic poetry|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 Basohli landscape.

Basohli 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.

==Geography==
Basohli is located at {{coord|32.50|N|75.82|E|}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/12/Basoli.html |website=Falling Rain |title=Basholi |access-date=21 July 2008 |archive-date=10 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110182910/http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/12/Basoli.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It has an average elevation of 460 metres (1509 feet). Basohli is situated in the uneven lofty hills of Shiwaliks. It is situated in the right bank of Ravi river. Part of the [[Ranjit Sagar Dam]] falls in the area of Basholi.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ranjit Sagar Dam |url=https://pathankot.nic.in/tourist-place/ranjit-sagar-dam/ |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=Pathankot |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
According to 2011 census,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|access-date=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Basohli had a population of 5433. Males constituted 52.01% of the population and females 47.99%. Basohli had an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 57% of the males and 43% of females literate. 12% of the population was under 6 years of age.

==Religion==
The religious distribution of the population is as follows - Hindu 83.01%, Muslim 16.38%, other 0.61%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census2011.co.in/data/town/800082-bashohli-jammu-and-kashmir.html |access-date=29 February 2024 |title=Bashohli Town Population Census 2011 - 2024 |website=census2011.co.in |archive-date=29 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229231447/https://www.census2011.co.in/data/town/800082-bashohli-jammu-and-kashmir.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Basohli painting ==
Basohli is widely known for its paintings, which are considered the first school of [[Pahari painting]]s, and which evolved into the much prolific [[Kangra paintings]] school by mid-eighteenth century.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EGUpX1O0hoC&dq=Kangra+painting&pg=RA2-PA62 |chapter=Pahari centres |title=Arts of India: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Music, Dance and Handicraft |first=Krishna |last=Chaitanya |publisher=Abhinav Publications |date=1987 |isbn=81-7017-209-8 |page=62 |access-date=24 March 2023 |archive-date=22 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522213307/https://books.google.com/books?id=8EGUpX1O0hoC&dq=Kangra+painting&pg=RA2-PA62 |url-status=live }}</ref> The painter [[Nainsukh]] ended his career in Basohli.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Toshakhānī |first1=Śaśiśekhara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GfF1pTv0PgkC |title=Cultural Heritage of Kashmiri Pandits |last2=Warikoo |first2=Kulbhushan |date=2009 |publisher=Pentagon Press |isbn=978-81-8274-398-4 |location=New Delhi |pages=288–289 |language=en}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Radha and Krishna in Discussion.jpg|[[Radha]] and [[Krishna]] in Discussion, (An illustration from [[Gita Govinda]]) Gouache on paper ({{circa|1730}}).
File:Goddess Bhadrakali Worshipped by the Gods- from a tantric Devi series - Google Art Project.jpg|Goddess [[Bhadrakali]], adored by the Gods. Basohli. India. {{circa|1660}}–70.
File:Maharaja Sital Dev of Mankot in Devotion.jpg|Maharaja [[Sital Dev]] of [[Mankot]] in [[:wikt:devotion|Devotion]], Ink, opaque watercolor, and silver on paper ({{circa|1690}}).
File:Ragaputra Velavala of Bhairava.jpg|[[Ragaputra Velavala]] of [[Bhairavi (Hindustani)|Bhairava]], opaque watercolour with gold on paper ({{circa|1710}}).
</gallery>

[[File:Raja Amrit Pal (Reigned 1757-1776) of Basohli LACMA M.80.223.1.jpg|thumb|Raja Amrit Pal (Reigned 1757–1776) of Basohli]]

==History==
The [[Battle of Basoli]] was fought in Basohli between the [[Sikhs]] and the [[Mughal Empire]] aided by the [[Rajputs]] of the hill states in 1702.<ref>Sikh History In 10 Volumes (Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer), vol. 1.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Battle of Basoli]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Hutchinson, J. & J. PH Vogel (1933). ''History of the Panjab Hill States'', Vol. I. 1st edition: Govt. Printing, Pujab, Lahore, 1933. Reprint 2000. Department of Language and Culture, Himachal Pradesh. Chapter XVIII Basohli State, pp. 587–613.
*{{cite book |author=Kossak, Steven | title=Indian court painting, 16th-19th century. |url=http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/12335/rec/74 | location=New York | publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art | year=1997| isbn=0870997831}} (see index: p. 148-152, for information about Basholi painting)

{{Jammu and Kashmir}}
{{Kathua district}}
{{Municipalities of Jammu and Kashmir}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cities and towns in Kathua district]]
[[Category:Indian painting]]
[[Category:Tehsils of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)]]

Basohli (town) - Revision history

RonAgnew292842 at 18:56, 30 December 2025