The entire Kangra valley holds indomitable memories of Sardar Mohinder Singh Randhawa (ICS), fondly christened “Punjab da Chhewan Dariya” (the sixth river of Punjab) by noted writer Gulzar Singh Sandhu.
His quiet but well recorded historic visits to different areas of Kangra and around, especially Guler in Dehra, Maniara near Palampur and Shahpur, remain etched in the cultural memory of the region, though little known to the public at large.
It was during these journeys, when Kangra still was part of Punjab, that Randhawa immersed himself in the artistic soul of this region in the foothills of the Himalayas.
His meticulous eye, scholarly discipline and deep sensitivity enabled the documentation, preservation and protection of the artistic heritage of Kangra at a time when it risked fading into obscurity.
The miniatures he collected with care and conviction today adorn the galleries of Chandigarh and several leading museums across India, standing as treasured testimonies to the refined aesthetics of a civilisation.