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Bundi paintings face extinction threat

'Tourists, particularly foreigners, demand for Bundi paintings but they fail to pay the price,' says artist Gopal Sameriya, adding, prices of original paintings have also fallen considerably in the last four years.

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Rajasthan's centuries-old Bundi paintings face threat of extinction as poor conservation facilities and cheap replicas flooding the market are pushing this art form into oblivion.

"Tourists, particularly foreigners, demand for Bundi paintings but they fail to pay the price," says artist Gopal Sameriya, adding, prices of original paintings have also fallen considerably in the last four years.

Cheap replicas of the Bundi paintings have found their way into the market, and tourists are more than happy to shell out lesser amount for a souvenir, he said.

These paintings preserved in the Chittarshallas and in its nearby halls are at great risk, as the leaking ceilings pose constant threat to these priceless treasures.

"Bundi style paintings will soon disappear as the artists in this painting are producing derivative miniature and selling it at low prices," observes young artist Yug Prasad who owns a studio here.

A miniature portrait of postcard size costs from Rs250 to 600 and the price varies with the work, Prasad said.

Gopal Soni, another painter of Bundi style who owns a studio here for last 15 years near the Taragarh Fort and claims to have sold his miniature for as much as Rs60,000.

Soni says although he still receives orders for copies of original Bundi paintings, his average earning now is not as high as it used to be because "good tourists" are not turning up in the city now.

Ashish Shringi, lecturer of Drawing and Painting at Kendreya Vidhaliya at Kota claims that "Bundi-styled miniature painting is no more in the market, only commercialised miniature style is there."

On conservation of Bundi-style paintings, secretary of the Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage Rajkumar Dadich said a proposal for renovation of Chittarshalla and other halls was sent to authorities but no action has been taken so far.

ASI incharge Nand Kishore Verma said the survey for renovation was completed about eight months ago but the work has not started yet.

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