Indian paintings traditions go back to antiquity, as is evident from the murals of Ajanta, Ellora and other frescoes, the Buddhist palm leaf manuscripts, the Jain texts and the Deccan, Mughal and Kangra schools of miniature Indian painting. Indian Painting is an old tradition, with ancient texts outlining theories of color and and anecdotal accounts suggesting that it was common for households to paint their doorways or indoor rooms where guests resided. Cave paintings from Ajanta, Bagh and Sittanvasal and temple paintings testify to a love of naturalism. Indian paintings provide an aesthetic continuum that extends from the early civilization to the present day. This form of art in India is vivid and lively, refined and sophisticated and bold and vigorous at the same time. From being essentially religious in purpose in the beginning, Indian paintings have evolved over the years to become a fusion of various traditions which influenced them. At first glance, an Indian miniature painting, to the uninitiated, appears nothing more than a clutter and tangle of pastoral settings, dominated by masculine and feminine figures. Yet these scenes are not detached visions of artistic expression but provide the basis of Indian music and art forms. Most of these masterly works are visual creations of emotional and perceptive concepts that depict the ragas or musical modes of Indian classical music. Miniature painters employed at various medieval courts, discovered the potential of limitless self-expression in their depiction and today there are 130 known sets of such miniatures. Mughal school of art In early 16th Century, with the onset of the Mughal empire, Persian painters were brought over to India who under the patronage of Humayun started what became known as Mughal School of Indian Paintings. It flourished under successive Mughal rulers with the credit of its establishment going to Akbar who delighted in music, poetry and painting. Both Hindu and Muslim artists, poets, musicians and writers were honoured in his court. The tradition of painting a collection/folio of paintings illustrating the various events related to the life of a king or great man, with the text written on the back to enable court reading was also established under the artistic patronage of Akbar. Hamza Nama, Khamsa pf Amir Khusrau, Akbar nama and Babur Nama were created in this fashion as also were the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata This new school of Miniature handicrafts blended the decorative aspects of Persian painting with the elements of space and activity from Indian style. Rajasthani school of art This style evolved from Western Indian paintings and handicrafts with the inclusion of the vertical elements from the Persian influences. Chaurpanchsika, a romantic manuscript of Kashmir is illustrated by this style of painting Several popular literary works were illustrated in the early Rajasthani painting style, the featuring mainly Lord Krishna as the hero with the herdswomen (gopis) and Radha in a pastoral setting. These paintings brought to life the beautiful relationship between a poem and music. Such a brilliant art, bringing together the elements of music, poetry and painting is seen only in India. Provincial Mughal paintings originated at Jaipur and Kishangarh but the major centres of Rajasthani miniatures were Bundi and Kotah. Mewar school of art It is difficult to ascertain the development of the Mewar school of in the sixteenth century, though there is even reason to believe that it followed the Western Indian tradition closely. By the middle of the seventeenth century Udaipur became the chief centre of Mewar style. Perhaps the ancient Chittor followed suit. The style of Mewar was not confined only to the geographical bounds of Mewar, it developed mutual contacts with the pictorial styles of neighbouring states. It had also reached Gujarat, and had probably helped in the formation of Basohli school in Jammu. With the Rajput princes in the employ of Aurangzeb, it had travelled to the far off Aurangabad in Maharashtra where coalescing with the local mode of expression it helped in the formation of a charming local style. The penetration of Mewar style as far flung Aurangabad is evidenced by the illustrations of the Rasamanjari dated 1650 which was made for Sisodiya Mohan singh Saktawat who apparently hailed from Mewar. Style of Western Indian school or the Chaurapanchasika style whose existence in Rajasthan, U.P. and Malwa. The Mewar style reached its culminating point during the period of Jagat Singh I (1628 – 1652). In this period the Mewar style becomes more sophisticated and while maintaining its early individuality leans towards the Mughal style which then become widely effused in handicraft products