Abstract

All the arts uniquely intercommunicate with each other. Indian literature and visual arts are no exception to this, as they share many fascinating themes. The concept of Nayaka and Nayika, originating in the Natyashastra, enticed writers, actors, dancers, painters, and even musicians. Literary texts and treatises, such as Natyashastra by Bharata, Rasikapriya by Keshavadasa, and Sringaratilaka by Rudrabha, have detailed expositions of the various sorts of Nayaka-s and Nayika-s. Among these, the eight heroines, known as Ashtanayika-s, became the most popular. These texts inspired the Indian miniature painters of almost all schools like Pahari, Kangra, Mughal, etc., and it can be seen that most of the palaces in pre-independent India had paintings of these Nayika-s. At the same time, it must have inspired the classical musicians and music composers, who assimilated them beautifully in the Khayal Bandish-es. A painting is a visual medium, and Khayal or music is an audible medium. It is fascinating to see what happens when the same theme is expressed by a painter in the form of an image and by a Vaggeyakara in the form of a Bandish. The present paper is a comparative study of the depiction of these eight types of Nayika-s in the compositions of Khayal and select Indian miniature paintings. This analysis explores how the interpretation of the exact theme matches or differs with the change of the medium. While exploring the interdisciplinary arena of music and miniature paintings, the present research paper draws substantial conclusions about the interrelationship of both these mediums.