In 1835, Wikne and English traveler visiting Bassali wrote about its lovingly bazaar, dilapidated ruins and also of its heavenly paintings in which it would seem the painters had the colors of dawn and the rainbow on their palette. In March seems to have changed. The bazaar continues to look well sloughly. The ruins are home to a colony of bats but do exude an aura of power and prosperity of a bicon era. And the paintings continue to enthrall. It was around 1640 during the reign of Rajasangram Pal of Bassali who incidentally was a favorite at Emperor Shah Jahan's court that a distinct style of painting emerged. Its techniques were that of the Mughal school but it had a spirit which was its very own. Unlike the Mughal milleatures, these paintings reflected the beauty of the artist's environment. The landscape of the Shivalik hills, their flora and fauna. They also derived inspiration from the eroticism of Shinghar literature in Sanskrit and Hindi poetry. What really set them apart however was the bold use of primary colors which were made from stones found in the river and which came from plas, trees and bushes all around the artist. Another unique feature was the distinctive shape of the eye, the Bassali eye. The Vigar, savage intensity were words used by the Gentiles said, familiar with the delicacy of Mughal milleatures to describe the Bassali paintings initially. Nonetheless, by 1930s, their barbaric vigor had been recognized as the cradle of all four centres of hill painting and was making waves internationally. Unfortunately, in Bassali, the story was different. I remember that my grandfather, who was a brother of Amr Sarth, was 50-50 years old, took the painting from him. Where Dram Nivas Pada would know as he is a direct descendant of the Raj Veads of Bassali or the King's Physicians who received these paintings as part of Royal patronage. Today, his daughter Sonu, along with a few others like Shaqil, are trying desperately to keep this art alive in Bassali so that the younger generation is aware of the legacy it has inherited. Unfortunately, her fears seem very real, as Bassali slides further into obscurity and the savage intensity of Bassali paintings holds caught elsewhere. The Bassali paintings are the most important and most important in the history of Bassali. The Bassali paintings are the most important and most important in the history of Bassali. The Bassali paintings are the most important in the history of Bassali. The Bassali paintings are the most important in the history of Bassali.