Ghulam Rasool Santosh

Ghulam Rasool Santosh () (1929 - March 10, 1997) was a prominent Kashmiri Indian painter. He was best known for his theme inspired by Kashmir Shaivism.

Early life

He was born Ghulam Rasool in a Kashmiri Muslim family of modest means in the Chinkral Mohalla neighborhood of old Srinagar. He dropped out of school after his father's death and took up odd jobs like writing, painting signboards, weaving silk and whitewashing walls. In 1954 he won a scholarship to study fine arts under a celebrated Indian painter, N. S. Bendre in the city of Baroda, in the state of Gujarat, in western India.

Around the same time he did what was considered unusual and unacceptable in conservative Kashmiri society - he married his childhood sweetheart, Santosh, who was a Kashmiri Pandit, and also assumed her name.

Career

In the early 1960s, Santosh studied Tantric (mystical) art and Kashmir Shaivism. In 1964 he adopted this style to create some of the best examples of modern Tantric paintings. His paintings are known for the vibrancy of colors, neat lines, spiritual energy and sensuousness.

Santosh also wrote play, poetry and essays in Kashmiri. He was also an authority on Kashmiri Shaivism, and was...
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