6. Illustration from a Bhagavatapurana Series: Cowherds Taking Their Cows to Pasture
This
charming bucolic scene vividly captures the early morning bustle as the
cowherds of Brindavan lead their animals to pasture in the adjoining forest. It
is from a series of Bhagavatapurana pictures that once belonged to a member of
the ruling house of Bilaspur. It is assigned to Bilaspur by family tradition,
which has been confirmed by both Khandalavala (sec Literature above) and Archer
(1973, I: 241-42) on stylistic grounds.
The
exact identification of the scene is not possible as there is no accompanying
text. In fact, the series may have had no text. How-ever, it may well
illustrate an instance in the Bhagavatapurana of an early morning scene in
Brindavan.
One
morning, with the intention of having his breakfast in the woods, Krishna woke
up all the cowherds with his horn. As he and Balarama walked behind their cows,
others joined them with theirs. Being boys, they indulged in games and pranks
as they moved along. Although they were adorned with beads and ornaments, they
plucked flowers and leaves and decorated themselves further.
In
the picture, as the boys move toward the forest with their cattle, we see a
cowherd jumping the fence to join the group; a calf runs behind another cowherd
with a shaven or bald head as they both try to catch up; Krishna and Balarama,
distinguished by their luxuriant capes and headdresses and placed in the middle
of the composition, seem to be engaged in a tete-a-tete; one cowherd climbs up
a tree, while yet another breaks a leafy branch to feed his cow. The series is
distinguished by lively compositions, abundant foliage, and the diversely
colored and brindled cows. Apart from their varied complexions, one bovine is
even speckled with gold flecks. Although the palette reveals a wide variety of
shades, the tonality is quite muted, and the picture glows with a restrained
brilliance.
7. Illustration from a Bhagavatapurana Series: Krishna Abducts Mitravinda
The
inscription in Newari above the picture tells us that Krishna has arrived at
Avantipur, where other princes have gathered for the svayamvara (a public
assembly of princes where a princess chooses her husband); that below informs
us that Krishna forcibly takes Mitravinda away. This incident is described very
briefly in the tenth book of the Bhagavatapurana. Mitravinda was a princess of
Avanti and an admirer of Krishna. Her brothers, however, did not care for
Krishna and instructed their sister not to select him at the svayamvara. At the
assembly Krishna forcibly carried away Mitravinda while the princes watched
helplessly.
The
unknown artist has given us a sort of bird's-eye view of the palace at
Avantipur. The incidents unfold before us with utmost clarity. In the upper
section of the palace the eager and expectant princes wait in the assembly
hall, while below them are shown two views of Krishna leading Mitravinda by the
hand to the chariot. In the foreground the two drive away from the palace.
This
picture is from a large series illustrating in great detail Book Io of the
Bhagavatapurana. These illustrations are bigger in size than the average Indian
painting. The artist may have been familiar with some of the larger-sized
paintings that were popular in the neighboring Hill States about this time. He
was very fond of predominantly architectural compositions, especially of
sectional views of interiors from an aerial perspective. He was also an
observant artist, for the forms do closely copy local palaces and temples that
still stand in Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. Although we do not know for
whom the series was done, only a princely patron could have afforded such a
large commission.
8. Krishna Serenading a Lady
When
previously published (see Literature above), this picture has been ascribed to
a Bhagavatapurana series formerly in the Lambagraon court collection and the
subject identified as Krishna serenading Radha. Though it is stylistically
closely related to the Lambagraon Bhagavatapurana pictures, there are two minor
points that should be noted. There is no folio number on this sheet, whereas
the other known examples from that series do have such numbers. The height of
the sheet is almost a half inch shorter than the measurements (11.3 in.) given
in Randhawa 1959. It is, of course, possible that the sheet was cropped after
it left the Lambagraon court collection, and consequently the number was lost.
If
it does belong to the Lambagraon Bhagavatapurana series, then the lady being
serenaded can hardly be identified as Radha. She does not appear as a character
in that text. She may therefore represent Rukmini, one of Krishna's wives, or a
cowherdess (gopi), but no such occasion is described in the text. Thus, it is
possible that the picture does not belong to the Bhagavatapurana series and the
lady does represent Radha, who, in later Vaishnava literature, is the principal
beloved of Krishna and who is always filled with rapture hearing the sound of
Krishna's flute.
By
common consensus the Lambagraon Bhagavatapurana series has been attributed to
Mankot and dated to about 1730. However, in a recent publication (Goswamy &
Fischer, p. 118, no. 47), while the attribution to Mankot was retained, a date
of about 1700- 1725 was suggested. More specifically, the authors attributed
the series to the "Master at the Court of Mankot (or an associate)."
Whether or not the Green picture is part of that series, it certainly is
closely related to works produced at the Mankot court around 1725. There is an
unfinished picture of the same subject and composition in the Los Angeles
County Museum of Art collection.
9. Krishna and Radha with Milkmaids
Two
sequential events are presented in a single composition following the technique
of continuous narration. On the left, watched by her companions, a timid Radha
with her face shielded from him by her scarf approaches Krishna. Next we see
her seated on a platform with Krishna, but she is still bashful. The encounter
takes place amidst lush vegetation reminiscent of a rain forest. The freshness
and the verdancy of the foliage as well as the full stream in the foreground
indicate that the season is that of the monsoon.
This
painting belongs to a series from which at least five other examples are known
(see Fine Oriental Miniatures and Manu-scripts . . . , Sotheby Parke Bernet,
New York, is December 1978, lots 141-46; the Green picture is lot 143). Three
other pictures (Welch 1973, pp- 44-45, no. i9; Falk, no. 67; and Kramrisch
1986, p. 61, no. 54) are stylistically very similar and may also belong to the
same series. Unfortunately no inscription on any of the folios identifies the
text that inspired these delightful pictures. A stylistically similar picture,
possibly even from the same series, has been identified as belonging to a
picture-book of the Gitagovinda of Jayadeva (A. late twelfth century), but no
evidence for this is cited (Dallapiccola. p1.4). In fact, a comparison with the
known illustrations of the Gitagovinda does not corroborate the identification.
Most
of the pictures in the series, like this example, are characterized by
luxuriously verdant settings. The figures seem almost to be engulfed by lush
foliage, which accentuates the passionate mood expressed in line and color.
This particular picture is delightful for its subtle psychological
expressiveness as well. Radha is a shy and eager maiden who approaches Krishna
as a timid bride does her unknown groom in genteel traditional society.
An
examination in the laboratory has revealed that some restoration work has been
done in recent years.
10. Watersport Festival of Radha and Krishna
Usually
the expression jalayatra means a boat ride in the river, but here the deities
the dark blue Gopalji and the fair Radha have to be content with water sprayed
by sprinklers along the edge of the platform.
Clearly
the scene represents a shrine within the courtyard of an affluent Vaishnava
family. The images are placed on a platform amidst a grove of fruit-laden mango
and banana trees. Various ritual vessels and two metal sculptures of bovines
are placed on the altar. Some real cows can be seen beyond the trees on the
right of the picture. On the veranda in front are offerings of mangoes and
coconuts, and more fruits and ritual objects can be seen between the pillars on
the deities' left. The rolled-up curtain is a rich textile adorned with
delicately drawn flowers and birds.
A
rather rotund and well-fed priest stands close to the altar, and members of the
family and a group of musicians a cymbalist, a drummer, and a
stringed-instrument player sit on either side of the veranda.
The
picture was very likely commissioned for the family album as a memento of the
occasion. It is from a Kota workshop, and although the artist's name is given
(but the reading is unclear), nothing is known about him. There is some
stylistic relationship between such Kota pictures depicting Krishna themes and
contemporary Nathadwar paintings (see no. it). Apart from Nathadwar pictures,
the artist appears to have been familiar with European works or European influenced
Mughal paintings as well. This is perceptible in the realistic handling of the
space, the greater naturalism of the figures and their activity, as well as the
detailed and meticulous rendering of the architectural elements.
11. Festival of Food Offering
The
occasion depicted in this painting is the food offering ceremony, literally
"mountain of food" (annakuta), which forms one of the major annual
festivals at the Nathadwar shrine of the Vallabhacharya sect of Vaishnava
faith. Taking place on the first day of the lunar half of the month of Karttika
(October-November), the festival has multiple significance for the Vallabhacharyas.
It marks the beginning of the new year, thanksgiving for a good harvest, and
the commemoration of the miraculous incident from the life of Krishna that is
encapsulated in the principal image at Nathadwar. This is the large, central
figure in the group of six in the second row in the picture. The gesture of the
raised left arm of the deity symbolizes the occasion when Krishna raised Mount
Govardhana to shelter his community and his cows from a relentless storm
unleashed by Indra, the king of the gods (sec no. 4). In addition, he holds the
shepherd's crook with his right hand and a flying sash with his left.
Although
there are separate shrines for Sri-Nathji's various manifestations within the
sprawling mansion at Nathadwar, in such commemorative pictures they are all
shown being worshipped together. The most striking features of the images
marking the ceremony are the silver attire and what is called a gokarna mukuta,
a crown of peacock feathers flanked by leaf like appendages that resemble cow's
ears. Also, this particular ceremony is marked by the orange cloths immediately
behind the statues and the black cloth farther behind that is decorated with
silver and gold thread.
In
front of the images are placed food-laden baskets and numerous jars filled with
milk and milk products. In the foreground is the symbolic mountain of rice
embellished with the five sweet cakes (gunja) traditionally offered on this
occasion (the fifth is not visible). That at the summit symbolizes Vishnu's
head, and the others his four weapons. (See Ambalal, pp. 30-33, for a detailed
description of the festival.).
On
either side of the offerings stand priests performing various tasks. Although
they have very stylized and uniformly shaped eyes, individuals rather than
types are represented. Clearly the priests have not suffered from deprivation.
The head priest, standing to the left of the picture, is engaged in offering a
lamp, while others stand with peacock-feather morchals and one with a hand-fan
to keep the flies at bay.
Among
the several published paintings of this subject (e.g., Skelton 1973, pp. 52-60,
nos. 11-15), this example is both Iconographically and stylistically closest to
one published by Ambalal (p. 32). The principal priests in the two paintings
appear to be the same per-son. There seems little doubt that the two pictures
were rendered at about the Same time and in the same workshop. However, one
small distinctive iconographic feature in the Green painting is the fact that
there are six images of Sri-Nathji placed in a single row; ill all the others
there are only five.
12. Illustration from the Shangri Ramayana Series: King Dasaratha in Conference
The
inscriptions on top in Takri characters read (left to right): raja (king); the
numeral 1o; Vasasada (Vasishtha?); sofa (bard); raja (kings). At the bottom
left is athara (18).
The
scene depicted here is from the Book of Ayodhya, part of the Ramayana. The king
seated before a bolster is Dasaratha, the father of Rama, shown in conversation
with his preceptor, the sage Vasishtha. Immediately behind the lightly clad
priest are the court bard and three princes of the realm. Behind the king is an
attendant holding a large sword and waving a flywhisk above the monarch's head.
The
Ramayana series to which this folio once belonged is known generally as the
Shangri Ramayana as the last owner before its dispersal was the ruler of the
small state of Shangri, a branch of the larger Kulu state. The series was
extensively studied by William Archer (1973, 1:325-29), who ascribed it to Kulu
and recognized in it four different styles. Recently, Goswamy and Fischer (pp.
76-81) questioned Archer's attribution to Kulu but accepted his dating and the
broad stylistic groupings. They made a strong case that the first two groups of
pictures were probably painted in Balm, a small state, for Raja Kripal Dev (r.
C. 1660-90) and his son Anand Dev (r. C. 1690-1730). The Green picture is from
the second group and is probably by the same artist responsible for several
others, now in various collections (Goswamy & Fischer, pp. 88-90, nos.
31-33).
As
is characteristic of this Ramayana series, the palette consists of stridently
bright colors that are applied so deftly they never seem to clash. The yellow
and chocolate particularly are reminiscent of similar colors typical of Basohli
paintings of the last quarter of the seventeenth century. In fact, in all
-essentials—such as the coloring, the stylization of tress, the use of
architecture, and the figural forms the Shangri Ramayana pictures an: so akin
to earlier Basohli pictures that there can be little doubt that when Raja
Kripal Dev of Bahu established a workshop he must have recruited one or more
artists from Basohli. Apart from its rich palette, this particular picture is
distinguished for the exquisite detailing of garments, carpet, and
architectural features.
Writer Name: Pratapaditya Pal
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