IANS/New Delhi

Illustrating the Ramayana of sage-poet Valmiki, and retelling tales of family jealousy, profound wisdom and selfless devotion, the 101 miniature paintings on display at the National Museum promise to be a big draw.
The exhibits, all drawn in the 17th-19th centuries, represent styles of painting from different parts of the country.
There are miniatures of the Pahari style from the mountains, Rajasthani from the desert expanse, Malwa of central India, provincial Mughal style from Bundelkhand (eastern Uttar Pradesh), Deccani from Bijapur (Karnataka) and the classical folk style of Kalighat (from around Kolkata).
The exhibition Rama-Katha - The Story of Rama Through Indian Miniatures was inaugurated by Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch on Wednesday. It will continue for two months at the National Museum here, after which it will travel to the Royal Museum of Art and History in Brussels.
“These miniature paintings represent different styles of great aesthetic sense. It will generate huge interest in the epic and different styles of paintings depicting its tales,” Katoch said.
The miniatures are from the museum’s collection, and 70 of them have never been on display, museum director general Venu V said.