Indrajit Makes Offerings: Folio from the Siege of Lanka series - Manaku

A preparatory ink drawing by the Pahari artist Manaku, depicting a scene from the Ramayana where Indrajit performs a ritual sacrifice.

This preparatory drawing, attributed to the Pahari artist Manaku, depicts a scene from the Ramayana. The composition focuses on Indrajit, the son of Ravana, performing a ritual sacrifice. The artist employs a delicate, precise line to outline the architectural elements, including the temple structure and the surrounding palace buildings. The figures are rendered with clarity, showing Indrajit seated before a fire altar, while attendants stand nearby with offerings.

Manaku was a member of a prominent family of painters working in the Guler and Kangra regions of the Himalayan foothills. This drawing belongs to a larger series illustrating the Siege of Lanka. The work provides insight into the technical process of Pahari miniature production, where artists first established the composition in ink before applying pigments. The architectural setting is typical of the period, featuring arched gateways and tiered roofs that frame the narrative action. The inclusion of a large tree in the centre serves to balance the composition, separating the ritual space from the palace architecture on the right.

As a study, the work lacks the final colour application, allowing the viewer to appreciate the draughtsmanship and the spatial organisation of the scene. The figures are depicted in profile, a convention common in Indian court painting, which maintains a sense of order and narrative focus. The lower border includes simple sketches of fish, a detail often found in the margins of such folios. This piece offers a view into the methodical approach of the Pahari school, where narrative clarity and architectural precision were balanced to convey complex mythological events.