Asiatic Elephant Notebook

The cover depicts The Asiatic Elephant.

In the 16th century AD, Assam witnessed a flourishing of manuscript paintings during the bhakti movement led by the revered Vaisnava saint, Srimanta Sankardeva. These paintings, featuring various themes including those from Hindu epics and Puranas, were meticulously crafted on indigenous tree bark called xanchi, using natural pigments like hengul (red) and haitaal (yellow). The skilled artists behind these beautiful creations were known as Khanikars. Styles such as Sattriya, Ahom Court, Darrang, and Tai Ahom emerged as prominent forms of manuscript painting in Assam. We have adapted these traditional styles to a contemporary context, depicting various cultural and popular symbols of Assam.