Ghulam Rasool Santosh
Encyclopedia
Ghulam Rasool Santosh (1929 - March 10, 1997) was a prominent Kashmiri
Indian
painter. He was best known for his theme
s inspired by Kashmir Shaivism
.
family of modest means in the Chinkral Mohalla neighborhood of old Srinagar
. He dropped out of school after his father's death and took up odd jobs like writing
, painting
signboards, weaving silk
and whitewash
ing walls. In 1954 he won a scholarship
to study fine arts under a celebrated India
n painter, N. S. Bendre in the city of Baroda, in the state of Gujarat, in western India
.
Around the same time he did what was considered unusual and unacceptable in conservative
Kashmiri society - he married his childhood sweetheart
, Santosh
, who was a Kashmiri Pandit
, and also assumed her name.
, Santosh
studied Tantric
(mystical
) art and Kashmir Shaivism. In 1964 he adopted this style to create some of the best examples of modern Tantric
paintings. His paintings are known for the vibrancy of colors, neat lines, spiritual energy and sensuousness.
Santosh
also wrote play
s, poetry
and essay
s in Kashmiri
. He was also an authority on Kashmiri Shaivism, and was one of the very few people who could read and write the ancient, and almost-extinct, Kashmiri script called Sharda
.
"K a s h m i r S h a i v i s m has penetrated to that depth of living thought where diverse currents of human wisdom unite in a luminous synthesis."
- Rabindranath Tagore
(9 May 1861 - 7 August 1941) Nobel Prize in Literature (1913).
, India
. He was survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
Kashmiri people
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...
Indian
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
painter. He was best known for his theme
Theme (arts)
In the visual arts, a theme is a broad idea or a message conveyed by a work, such as a performance, a painting, or a motion picture. This message is usually about life, society or human nature. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a work. Themes are usually implied...
s inspired by Kashmir Shaivism
Kashmir Shaivism
Among the various Hindu philosophies, Kashmir Shaivism is a school of Śaivism consisting of Trika and its philosophical articulation Pratyabhijña...
.
Early life
He was born Ghulam Rasool in a Kashmiri MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
family of modest means in the Chinkral Mohalla neighborhood of old Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
. He dropped out of school after his father's death and took up odd jobs like writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
signboards, weaving silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
and whitewash
Whitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
ing walls. In 1954 he won a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to study fine arts under a celebrated India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n painter, N. S. Bendre in the city of Baroda, in the state of Gujarat, in western India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Around the same time he did what was considered unusual and unacceptable in conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
Kashmiri society - he married his childhood sweetheart
Childhood sweetheart
Childhood sweetheart is a reciprocating phrase for a relationship between young persons, traditionally of the opposite sex occurring in their formative years...
, Santosh
Santosh
Santosh , also spelled as 'Santhosh', is a common Hindu male name which is derived from the Sanskrit word "Santōṣa" or Santosha. Santosh means contentment and also happiness...
, who was a Kashmiri Pandit
Kashmiri Pandit
The Kashmiri Pandits are a Hindu Brahmin community originating from Kashmir, a mountainous region in South Asia.-Background:The Hindu caste system of the region was influenced by the influx of Buddhism from the time of Asoka, around the third century BCE, and a consequence of this was that the...
, and also assumed her name.
Career
In the early 1960s1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
, Santosh
Santosh
Santosh , also spelled as 'Santhosh', is a common Hindu male name which is derived from the Sanskrit word "Santōṣa" or Santosha. Santosh means contentment and also happiness...
studied Tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
(mystical
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
) art and Kashmir Shaivism. In 1964 he adopted this style to create some of the best examples of modern Tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
paintings. His paintings are known for the vibrancy of colors, neat lines, spiritual energy and sensuousness.
Santosh
Santosh
Santosh , also spelled as 'Santhosh', is a common Hindu male name which is derived from the Sanskrit word "Santōṣa" or Santosha. Santosh means contentment and also happiness...
also wrote play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
s, poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
s in Kashmiri
Kashmiri language
Kashmiri is a language from the Dardic sub-group and it is spoken primarily in the Kashmir Valley, in Jammu and Kashmir. There are approximately 5,554,496 speakers in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Census of 2001. Most of the 105,000 speakers or so in Pakistan are émigrés from the Kashmir...
. He was also an authority on Kashmiri Shaivism, and was one of the very few people who could read and write the ancient, and almost-extinct, Kashmiri script called Sharda
Sharda
Sharda Rajan Iyengar or Sharda was a playback singer in Hindi films in the 1960s and 70s. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the cabaret "Baat Zara Hai Aapas Ki" in Jahan Pyar Miley , though she is most remembered for her song "Titli Udi" in Suraj...
.
"K a s h m i r S h a i v i s m has penetrated to that depth of living thought where diverse currents of human wisdom unite in a luminous synthesis."
- Rabindranath Tagore
(9 May 1861 - 7 August 1941) Nobel Prize in Literature (1913).
Death
He died on March 10, 1997 in New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.