This ancient town of Kangra lies overlooking the gushing torrents of the Banganga River, a tributary of the Beas rising from the southern slopes of the milky Dhauladhars. But saying simply that Kangra is an ancient town is not enough; it has the distinction of being the site of the oldest recorded war in human history. It even finds a mention in Alexander’s (around 326 BC) war records. The great Indian epic Mahabharata cites Kangra as Trigarta. Today Kangra is also known as Bhawan or Nagarkot. Bhawan because of the Bajreshwari Devi Temple, and Nagarkot because of the fort Nagarkot.

Kangra School of Painting:
 Various schools of miniature painting, collectively called Pahari, flourished between the 17th and 19th centuries in the sub-Himalayan states.

The hilly region, then divided into 22 princely states, was ruled by Rajput kings or chieftains who were all great connoisseurs of art, with most of them maintaining ateliers. The focal points of their lives were war, hunting, lineage, and the zenana. Partial to love themes, especially the legends of Radha and Krishna, the Rajputs liked them depicted in their paintings.