Banaras in the early 19th century, riverfront panorama : panorama of Banaras viewed from across the Ganges

This volume contains the work of a "Company School" painter, working in a localized tradition of British landscape watercolour. The scenes of Banaras in the early 19th century are mostly naturalistic and present an authentic account of the riverfront. The riverside of the holy city of Banaras has always attracted the attention of people. From the late 18th century onwards, both amateur and professional European painters were drawn to paint the panoramic scenic beauty of its "ghats" (holy landing places used also for ritualistic bathing). The ghats are a vast area of space for the religious and cultural life of the city. Over time they were gradually stone-paved and steps leading to the river were built. This great architectural movement was initiated by the Rajputs and subsequently followed by Maratha donors. In this illustration folder, the core of this chain of ghats was already built while the flanks were yet to come. Pilgrims taking ablution in the holy waters of the Ganga, "dhobis" washing clothes, corpses being cremated, cows and horses roaming and other such daily scenes appearing in this work have been treated with insight and humour. The river in the scene is replete with many types of boats, a principal mode of locomotion, such as goods-laden boats, ferry boats, pleasure boats of different denominations with liveried boatmen, rowing boats, sail boats and boats drawn upstream by ropes.