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Garhwal was always considered a safe haven for wanderers, adventurers, political sufferers, philosophical thinkers and nature lovers. About the middle of the Mughal style of Miniature painting. After nineteen months, the Prince left Garhwal but his court painters enchanted by the environs, stayed behind. These painters settled in Srinagar Miniature Painting by Mola Ram, Garhwal 17^th century A.D. Suleman Shikoh, a Mughal Prince, took refuge in Garhwal. The Prince brought along with him an artist and his son who were his court painters and well versed in the (Garhwal), the then capital of the Pawar dynasty and introduced the Mughal style of painting in Garhwal. With the passage of time, the successors of these original masters became expert painters and also developed an original style of their own. This style later on came to be known as the Garhwal School of Painting.

About a century later, a famous painter, Mola Ram, developed a style of painting equalled in romantic charm, only by few other styles of painting. He was not only a great master of the Garhwal School of Painting but also a great poet of his time. We find beautiful poems in some of Mola Ram's paintings. There are definite influences of other Pahari Schools reflected in these paintings, but the overall originality of the Garhwal School is maintained. Special features of the Garhwal School include beautiful women with fully developed breasts, thin waist line, soft oval shaped face, delicate brow and thin nose with definite nose bridge. Poet cum artist Mola Ram was undoubtedly an exceptional personality of his age, for, he wrote poems, made notes, collected data and painted a diverse range of subjects.

The matrimonial alliance of the King Pradhyuman Shah (1797-1804 A D) with a Guler Princess of Kangra induced many Guler artists to come and reside in Garhwal. Their technique greatly influenced the Garhwal style of painting. With the cultivation of ideal beauty, its fusion of religion and romance, its blending of poetry and passion, the paintings of Garhwal are an embodiment in painting of the Indian attitude of love.

From painstaking research work undertaken by eminent scholars and art historians, we know the names of various painters of that time. Shyam Das and Har Das were first in the family tree, probably being the first ones to come to Garhwal with Prince Suleman. Hiralal Mangat Ram, Molaram, Jwalaram, Tejram, Brijnath were some of the great masters of this school of art.

The masterpieces of the Garhwal School of Painting include the following :
Illustrations of Ramayana (1780 A.D)
Celebrations of Balarama's birthday (1780 A D)
Series of Raginis
Shiva and Parvati
Utkat Nayika
Abhisarika Nayika
Krishna painting the feet of Radha
Radha looking into a mirror
Varsha Vihar
Kaliya Daman
Illustrations of Gita Govinda

A rich collection of these paintings are displayed in the University Museum in Srinagar, Garhwal, along with many sculptures and finds from archaeological excavations.

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