VISHINATH KAMPASI (1853-1938 ) A GREAT PIONEER OF PRINTING AND PHOTOGRAPHY IN KASHMIR
He went to Kangra Himachal Pradesh to study
Miniature and landscape Art from some master . He Bought a camera
from a European tourist in 1880 by selling his wife’s Dejhur or Traditional Golden ornament ( Suhaag symbol ) like Mangalsutra of a kashmiri Pandit woman . He
Ventured into the field of Painting , Photography and Printing. This is something unbelievable to have been done by a boy from orthodox Kashmiri Pandit society that too during the last quarter of 19th century .
The boy was
none other than Vishinath Kampasi . kampasi was a nickname that this family
acquired . Sh.Ramesh Kampasi informs :
“ There is
a history about the family name Kampasi. Actually it was Kharoo. In those days
camera was called Compass by Kashmiris. It stuck as family name.”
He also went to Lahore to learn photography .He boughtbooks on this Art and on rwturn created adark room inside his Bana Mohalla hose to start his business.
He also went to Lahore to learn photography .He boughtbooks on this Art and on rwturn created adark room inside his Bana Mohalla hose to start his business.
About his
visit to Kangra to learn art , I need to add that some adventurous kashmiris from srinagar city have gone to
Kangra to learn art from some Pahari Miniature Artists . History of Pahari Art informs us that there were
about 46 great master painters in Himachal pradesh who worked as darbaar
painters in various hilly kingdoms of Himachal. A few went to Tehri Garhwal.
They belonged to Shiv Raina Razdan Clan of kashmiri Brahmins .
Raja Dalip singh was the first person
to employ and patronise kashmiri Brahmin artists when they took refuge in his
kingdom in late 17th century.. , to The last brilliant painter from this clan was Chandu Lal Raina who died in 1994. These Rainas can be seen everywhere in Himachal
Pradesh . They don't speak kashmiri but say that they are from Rainawari locality in srinagar city . Some say that they belong to
Habba kadal locality . They are not definite nor is there any conclusive documentary
evidence as to from which part of kashmir their ancestors came to Himachal in
late 17th century.
Again , Mattan town in kashmir valley has
a historical link with Himachal Pradesh . The purohits of Mattan have been going to Himachal and Punjab
in winters since last 3 or four centuries. They have picked up Miniature Art
for their religious pictures used in almanacs from masters in Himachal. If you
carefully observe the horscopes prepared by Brahmins of srinagar city and those
done by Mattan Brahmins ,you will notice the difference in style, colours and
subjects. Shiva is dominant subject in one while stories from Bhagwat Puran and sri krishna's life are
depicted in another segment. In 1987, i saw 4 prominent miniature painters in Mattan who made religious paintings and pictures for horscopes. One is still living and settled in
jammu.
Sudesh
Raina son of well known Artist Mohan Raina adds :
“ My father has told me that his own
grandfather had gone to Himachal
Pradesh in late 19th century to learn
Miniature Art . There in Himachal
Pradesh, some Artist from the lineage
of Sieu Raina was an accomplished
Artist . This artists used to train young boys from Himachal Pradesh and
adjoining states of Punjab and J&K . It was a Gurukul Type of
learning. My father believed that the great Grandfather of Kishori kaul had also visited Himachal
Pradesh in this connection. “
Coming to Vishinath Kampasi , I need to add that sometime around 1880, he started first Photo shop cum Printing press at Fateh Kadal Srnagar , a place close to his Bhana-mohalla residence. He also went to Ladakh , Gilgit and some other places to click scenic pictures. He did some landscapes in water colour during this sojourn. When these photographs were shown to Maharaja Partap singh , He enrolled him as Darbaar Painter cum Photographer for about two years .
From Fateh
Kadal , Vishinath ji exapanded his Photo cum Printing Business to Residency
Road Srinagar where he opened another outlet. At a point of
time this family gave direct employment to 50 persons through this Business
Ramesh Kampasi
adds :
"The biography
of Sh.Vishinath Kampasi makes a fascinating story. He was the first entrepreneur from the community,
having established a printing press as well as a photography business at Fateh
Kadal, Srinagar. And it was he who went to Ladakh, Gilgit and captured the
virgin beauty of these unexplored places, with his cameras. He received full
recognition from the Maharaja. The printing press was initially named as
Kashmir Pratap Steam Press. Machines were run by steam as electricity was yet
to come in Srinagar. Doing this in 19th century was no easy task. Let me add that Vishinath
Ji printed Some heritage
books at his press. I could recently see online digitized
copy of Advaita System of Kashmir
Shaivism book Malinivijaya Vartikam of Abhinav Gupta, printed in 1921 at his
Fateh Kadal Press. This book is in the library of the University Of
Toronto and It has been digitized . The preface of the book
is very Interesting. This book was printed by
Research Department J & K.”
Ganji Kampasi Adds :
" Pt Vishnath Kampasi had made four wonderful paintings which somehow were stolen and are said to be in Lahore, London and Germany.
Sadly our family has no record of such a great visionary who has given us the Name "
Ganji Kampasi Adds :
" Pt Vishnath Kampasi had made four wonderful paintings which somehow were stolen and are said to be in Lahore, London and Germany.
Sadly our family has no record of such a great visionary who has given us the Name "
And sat Lal
Kampasi ,his son was a diploma holder from Sir Amar singh Technical institute
sringar . This institute was opened by Maharaja Partap singh in 1914 and finally made as Amar Singh college in
1942. Sat Lal was a student if great
Artist JC Mukerji who was brought by maharaja to this institute to work under
FC Andrews the first principal. J C Mukerji was a great painter of Bengal
Renaissance apart from being a master in Landscapes. Later , Sh.Sata Lal
Kampasi graduated from Calcutta School of Art. He was Fellow Of Royal Society
of Arts .Sat lal ji helped J And K Govnmenent to set up first ITI in the state.
It is pertinent
to mention that many old photographs that
are being circulated in Social Media under the
series “OLD KASHMIR IMAGES
“ have actually been clicked by Vishinath Kampasi . He has also clicked
photographs of swami Vivekananda’s visit to
Tulamula and a group photo of
Swami ji with some Kashmiri Pandits . All these photographs are also being
circulated in Social Media including Facebook and Twitter.
This Kampasi family had many photographs and old paintings in their residency road
business premises and also at their residence in Bana Mohalla in Srinagar City .
These might have been lost in the post 1990 turmoil. I don't know.
( Avtar
Mota )
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