The correct option is 2 and 3 only
Explanation
Manuscript paintings in India, particularly the early schools such as the Pala School (Buddhist) and the Western Indian or Jain School, were primarily executed on palm leaves (tadpatra) and later on paper. These paintings were created to illuminate religious texts and were bound together in a format known as the Pothi style.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Incorrect. Manuscript illustrations were not merely decorative; they were intrinsically linked to the text. The paintings served to visualize the deities, themes, or narratives described in the accompanying scriptures (such as the Prajnaparamita or Kalpasutra). They functioned as visual aids to devotion and understanding of the text.
- Statement 2 is Correct. In the manuscript format, the text and the illustration shared the same surface area. On a typical palm leaf, specific rectangular panels were reserved for the miniature paintings, while the remaining space was utilized for the written script. The integration of text and image was a defining characteristic of these manuscripts.
- Statement 3 is Correct. To bind the loose palm leaves together, a small hole was bored in the centre of the leaves. A string was passed through this hole to fasten the pages, and the bundle was often covered with wooden book covers (patli). Even after the transition to paper, this format-and sometimes a decorative circle indicating the hole-persisted in the Western Indian style for some time.
Key Takeaway: Early Indian manuscript paintings (Pala and Jain schools) were executed on palm leaves where text and images co-existed, and the pages were bound using a string passed through a central hole.