Geography
Bashohli is located at 32.50°N 75.82°E. It has an average elevation of 460 metres (1509 feet). Basoli is situated in the uneven lofty hills of Shiwaliks. It is situated in the right bank of Ravi river. Basoli has become popular for the Thein dam which has made it almost landlocked and hence it is about 72 km from Kathua city.
Demographics
At the 2001 India census, Bashohli had a population of 5865. Males constituted 53% of the population and females 47%. Bashohli had an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 57% of the males and 43% of females literate. 12% of the population was under 6 years of age.
Basohli painting
Basohli is widely known for its paintings called Basohli Paintings, which are considered the first school of Pahari paintings, and which evolved into the much prolific Kangra paintings school by mid-eighteenth century.
History
Immortalised by its artistic eminences and its connoisseur patrons, Basohli today is a metaphor for a vigorous, bold and imaginative artistic style, rich, stylish and unconventional. A style of painting characterized by vigorous use of primary colours and a peculiar facial formula prevailed in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries in the foothills of the Western Himalayas in the Jammu and Punjab States. The earliest paintings in this style have been dated to the time of Raja Kirpal Pal (1678–93).
Originating in Basohli, the style spread to the Hill States of Mankot, Nurpur, Kulu, Mandi, Suket, Bilaspur, Nalagarh, Chamba, Guler and Kangra. The first mention of Basohli painting is in the annual report of the Archaeological Survey of India for the year published in 1921. Referring to the acquisitions of the Archaeological Section of the Central Museum, Lahore, the report states that "a series of old paintings of the Basohli School were purchased, and the Curator concludes that the Basohli Schools is possibly of pre-Moghul origin, and so called Tibeti pictures are nothing but late productions of this school".
