Mangaluru: A week-long exhibition of paintings of the Adil Shahi dynasty is being held at the old Inspection Bungalow near Ambedkar Stadium here.

Forty-five rare paintings created between 1489 and 1686 are on display with their details. The exhibition was inaugurated on Karnataka Rajyotsava day by the District in-charge Minister, M. B. Patil. It is organised by the P.G. Halakatti Research Centre of BLDE University and the Tourism Department.

Krishna Kolhar Kulkarni, historian and functionary of the research centre, said that of the 132 rare paintings from that era that are still available, almost a third are on display. He said the objective behind the event is to make people understand the Adil Shahi rulers’ passion for paintings.

“The Adil Shahis have contributed tremendously to art and music. They had a great passion for paintings that is palpable in the type of paintings we see today. The Adil Shahi rulers had some of the best painters in their kingdom. Chandbibi, one of the female rulers, herself was a painter. The exhibition aims to spread awareness among art lovers about the Adil Shahis’ love for paintings,” Mr. Kulkarni said.

He said most of the paintings were taken away by the British and other foreign invaders, and are now kept in museums in London, Germany, France and the United States. “We have succeeded in getting their copies to display them here. There are still many paintings that needed to be brought back to Vijayapura,” he said.

He said the research centre plans to provide a permanent place where all the paintings can be displayed. He added that in the coming days, if the district administration provides the space, a permanent museum would be set up at in the historic Anand Mahal and the paintings could be put up there.