The British Library (Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections), London, United Kingdom.
Location History:
The painting was originally created on-site in India during the 1814–1815 expedition while the artist accompanied the Marquess of Hastings. Afterward, the artwork was transported to the United Kingdom as part of the Hastings family collection. It eventually resurfaced in London in 1974 before being permanently acquired by the British Library.
Sita Ram’s watercolor of the Haridwar ghats becomes more interesting when we know about the journey behind it. The painting is from Views by Seeta Ram from Mohumdy to Gheen, Vol. V and was made around 1814–1815. It was made for Lord Moira, who later became the Marquess of Hastings. At that time he was the Governor-General of Bengal and also the Commander-in-Chief. His journey was mainly planned to record the places and events seen during the long court journey. The journey started from Calcutta and went towards Delhi and Punjab, and later returned through Haryana. For Sita Ram, making paintings during this journey would not have been an easy work. He had to carry his paper, colours and other things with him and paint while travelling through difficult places. He also painted outside in areas of Uttarakhand and near the northern rivers. The watercolor shows Harikacharan, a bathing ghat connected with the Gangadwara temple. This was a sacred place where Vishnu’s footprint was worshipped on the right bank of the Ganga. Many small people can also be seen in the painting. Some are bathing in the river and some are moving on the steps. I think these figures make the place look more alive. The painting has the British style of recording places, but we can also notice Sita Ram’s own Indian way of looking at the scene. Due to official restrictions, Hastings could not meet Akbar II when he was in Delhi. Lady Hastings, however, visited the emperor, and Sita Ram accompanied her during the visit. The folio can today be found in the British Library, recorded under Add.Or.4783.
Sita Ram’s watercolor of the Harikacharan ghat at Haridwar represents more than just a view of a beautiful riverside location. I think the painting shows the importance of the Ganga as a sacred and social space in Indian life. The small figures bathing, walking and gathering around the steps make the scene feel active and show how religious practices were a part of everyday life.
The painting also represents the meeting of two different ways of looking at India. On one hand, the detailed recording of the landscape, architecture and location reflects the British interest in documenting Indian places during journeys. On the other hand, Sita Ram was an Indian artist, so his representation also reflects his familiarity with Indian culture and religious traditions. This makes the painting more than a simple geographical record.
The presence of the Ganga and the Gangadwara temple gives the work a strong spiritual meaning. The sacred footprint of Vishnu connects the physical landscape with Hindu religious beliefs. The river therefore appears not only as a natural feature but also as a place of worship, purification and community life.
I also find the journey behind the painting important to its meaning. Sita Ram created these views while travelling with Lord Moira and his party, which suggests that the artwork was partly meant to record and preserve what was seen during the journey. However, the painting also gives us a glimpse of Indian life during a period when British power was expanding in India.
Overall, I interpret the artwork as a combination of **travel documentation, cultural observation and religious representation**. It captures a specific place while also showing the relationship between landscape, faith and everyday life. The painting allows the viewer to see Haridwar not simply as a location, but as a living sacred space where nature, religion and human activity come together.
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By: Devanshi Padariya
This watercolor by Sita Ram vividly captures the sacred and vibrant essence of the Haridwar ghats, specifically Harikacharan near the Gangadwara temple. What makes this piece profound is how it blends the objective British documentary style—commissioned to record Lord Moira's journey—with Sita Ram's uniquely sensitive Indian perspective.
The inclusion of small, active human figures bathing and moving along the steps breathes life into the spiritual landscape, transforming a mere topographical record into a living moment of devotion and daily life along the holy Ganga. It reflects both the artistic endurance required to paint on such an extensive expedition and a deep personal reverence for the sacred site.
