The almost monotone colour palette is dominated by an enchanting shade of Prussian purple colour. Along the frontal edges of this button-down jacket are thick panels of lush embroidery, best zoomed in on. The same has been done by hand by local artisans, for weeks, even months, at a stretch. Finally, the homegrown silk of the valley lends this number a glamorous sheen that no other fabric could give to your ensemble. This jacket would be an unusual pick for warm family gatherings over the winter.
The more said about the great Lord Shiva Mahadeva, lesser is the justice done to His divine stature. He is the indubitable Adinatha, the paramaguru of the Natha sampradaya responsible for the exposition and dissemination of classical yoga. It is said that the Devi Uma, His wife and daughter of the mountains, was the first yogashishya, to whom He imparted complete knowledge. In this portrayal of the Lord, He is captured in the midst of a great samadhi.
In this kalamkari composition, the beloved cowherd and protector has stopped under a tree and pulled out His flute. It is well into dusk - note the deep, solid red of the backdrop. One of His flock keeps Him company. The innocent pashu (animal) tongues His divine feet as the music envelops her. A bunch of parrots have gathered in the branches of the tree above, having been drawn in by the sound of His music. It is a luscious tree surrounded by flowering shrubs, as pretty as the tassels that dangle from His flute.
Kalamkari paintings are fine examples of pen-based workmanship, which has been perfected in Andhra Pradesh over centuries now. The pen in question is a rudimentary one fashioned from locally available twigs, which explains the thick curves that define this composition. The devotional theme and limited colour palette (ochre and sindoori pigments) are characteristic of this style of Indian folk art.
This is a Baluchari for the freshest bride of the season. A traditional saree dyed a powerful, statement-making shade of red, it has all the hallmarks of authentic make. At the same time this number would make you the most glamorous one in any party or wedding you go to. This Baluchari is just the pick for the contemporary traditional woman. The pure silk weave explains the sumptuousness of this variety of the Indian saree.
Because the Baluchari is the traditional wedding saree of the Bengali people, the colour is a deep rich red superimposed with gold. The superbly precise motifs on the endpiece depict scenes from the Ramayana, as visual folklore and episodes from the itihasas are the norm with these sarees. Zoom in on the plethora of gold-thread figures arranged in delicately woven panels, in order to appreciate the high-precision handiwork. The same is complemented by the luxuriant solid gold booties across the field of this saree.
The divine couple of love are represented in their utmost aesthetic form. Here Shri Radha and krishna are showering the superior joy of their darshans. As being the personality of Godhead they have a transcendental form which has been described here. Moreover there is a clean and clear finishing on one of the finest marble figures.
The 'Tribhanga-Lalit' Mudra (Tribend posture) of Shri Krishna is purely depicted in this deity and along with the lotus-eyed treasure of beauty, Shrimati Radharani posing the Abhaya Mudra from her right hand and the left hand is symbolizing the holding of a flower.
The colour combination used here is a highlight as one gets to know the personality of the Lordships, which is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures that Shrimati Radharani has a fair complexion where Lord Shri Krishna has a darker one. So this an ideal pair of Supreme Lovers for a devotee who wants to serve the lord with all the pleasures.
Here as an add on advantage, one set of the ravishing Shringar from bottom to top will also be provided without any extra charges and that's amazing. Although the cute couple is astonishing and attractive all over.
Like most Buddhist devis, She has the tall, slender form of the Himalayan ascetic. Her silken skirts drop to Her feet, barely revealing a long leg; while Her torso is strategically concealed by tigerskin and a hand raised in blessing. Coiled amidst Her eight arms is a sea of sashes floating about Her like the gorgeous black hair across Her shoulders. The quintessentially Buddhist five-spired crown and gold kundalas frame Her lovely, youthful face. It bears an expression of maternal comfort and bliss.
Indeed She is the Devi of compassion and mercy. In one of Her anterior hands She holds the mythical healing potion of Tibetan medical folklore. Generously She dispenses of it upon this loka. Surrounded by flowers (from Her pedestal to Her aureole) and offerings (in the foreground), the pristine stupa in the background completes the composition.
Between those two phases of the same Vishnu incarnation lies a long phase of transition. The work of art you see on this page seeks to capture the Lord in the midst of that metamorphosis. He spent those years traversing the subcontinent, leading the life of an austere sadhu. He lived in the wilderness and amongst people but not with them; He stopped on His travels, but did not stay anywhere; and in keeping with the precepts of hathayoga, He mortified the flesh (tapah) by seeking as little extrinsic nourishment (in terms of food, etc) as scarcely kept His boat floating.
Which explains the highly pronounced bone structure. The sharp lines where the flesh sinks into the abdominal socket and stretches taught over the girdle. The super-slender limbs gathered in the perfect padmasana. Note the solid halo framing the face with the sunken, half-shut eyes; and the pedestal carved with the images of homage-paying ascetics.
The son of Shiva (note the trishool tattooed at the root of His trunk) is clad in a marigold-coloured dhoti. A bunch of gold studded with rubies and emeralds betray His princely stature. A garland of pink and white flowers rests on His adorably chubby torso, clearly an offering of His numerous devotees. He is ekdanta (single-tusked), because He had to scribe the Mahabharata at the command of Vyasa.
The halo behind His head resembles the gentle glow of the sun setting over the tropics. The inky purple background is reminiscent of the skies that turn this colour once the cows have been home for a while. The Lord is seated on velvet-cushioned asana, the greens and golds of which match the sumptuous colours of His silks.
Every Baluchari is set apart by the embroidery on the endpiece. The theme is usually a popular episode from any of the itihasas. In a twist of the contemporary, this one comes with simple apsara motifs. Zoom in on the panels to appreciate the attention and precision with which the heavenly beauties have been depicted in the midst of their music-making, dance, and shringar routines. More of the apsaras are sparsely woven onto the field of the saree. Team this Baluchari with the best of your mother’s gold and jewel hand-me-downs.
Fashioned from karuppu kal (black granite), the process involved is time-intensive and speaks volumes about the skill and temperament of the sculptors. Multiple rounds of stenciling and chiselling call for the attention of up to 50 craftsmen on a single work of art such as this one. Note the graciousness of the curves at each juncture of the deity’s roopa, the dynamism of the silhouette - these are the hallmarks of the region’s devotional handiwork.
The trishool in His hand contrasts sharply with the sweet-sounding conch in Hers; the nakedness of His raised leg, with the pleats of Her dhoti; the musculature of His torso, with the sharp curve of Her waist; the fierce-hooded snake, with the shringar of Her kundalas. A single lotus-engraved halo behind the head matches the double-tiered lotus pedestal on which the tandava is taking place.
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