The more that is said about Lord Hanuman, the more that remains left out. Of superlative strength and great personal beauty, this vanar-roopa deity is best known for His devotion to Rama in the itihasa. Vanar-roopa, because He used to be very mischievous as a child (son of Anjanadevi and Vayudeva) and had subsequently been punished with a blow to the face Indra Himself. He was tutored by Sooryadeva, and is the most perfect of yogis across space and time. In the necklace of Ramayana characters, He is the brightest jewel. Of elegant speech and extraordinary intelligence, it is His active devotion to Rama that enables the latter to finally rescue His wife from the clutches of Ravana.
It is no wonder that the dupatta is a relatively simple strip of silken fabric; after all, with Anarkali-style suits it is the kameez that is designed to be the showstopping element. It has a miniscule pastel-coloured trim at the hem, and a bunch of tiny white booties spaced out across the field. This Indian suit comes with signature choodidar trousers in matching gray colour. The USP of the ensemble lies in the long-sleeved, beautiful seamed bust. From its high, soft round neck emerges a strip of golden discs of varying sizes that lies in a semicircle over the bust, enclosing more of the printed gold booties.
Her head is set with a crown that befits Her heavenly status - it is ornate and made from gold, studded with emeralds and trimmed with three pink lotuses that are just about to bloom. The halo that surrounds Her head is in the form of the sun itself, albeit a solid grey colour that gives off rays of pristine light. From the colour of the moors behind Her, it seems that the sun may have set and the twilight is making way for the dusk. Zoom in on the Devi's face, wherein lies the beauty of the whole composition. A ferocious composure of countenance characterises that beauteous face, with the large bloodshot eyes and the awe-inspiring fangs that emerge from betwixt Her luscious lips. A third eye is to be found on Her vibhuti-smeared brow, on which sits a sliver of the silver moon.
The exquisite wall-hanging that you see on this page features this all-important motif. The same is a fine example of Nepalese handiwork, the copper repousse having been done with great skill and labour. Zoom in on each aspect of the work to take in the sheer level of details - the adornments on the elephants and the landscape they are walking on, the series of lotus petals and gems of red and blue that frame the central motif, and ashtamangala symbols laterally arranged on either side of the same. Peacocks and a kirtimukha image are on the lower panel, while the upper one features more complex repousse. The whole composition is framed by more lotus petals that run along all four sides of the wall-hanging.
The signature patches that grace this bedspread feature the rustic style of embroidery that has been perfected locally in Kutch. Tender foliage motifs in natural colours are to be found in abundance, the same having been puntuated with miniscule silver mirrors that shimmer against the light. All these are the rage across the subcontinent, which explains how widely coveted are the dupattas, ghagras, and home decor fashioned in the region. Infuse your space with a bit of the essence of India - earthy colours, rangoli-esque motifs, and a disntinctly endemic art of embroidery - to return to each night.
The sheer degree of skill that has gone into this work could be gauged by zooming in on the mane and the face amidst the same. Each strand of the man, the alternating black and gold streaks, and the realistic ends of each clump of hair make this a one-of-a-kind sculpture. The musculature of the face is so lifelike. The eyes convey fierce anger, and the jaws are set to make the onlooker go weak in the knees. Note the curves of the whiskers beneath the fiery nostrils of the lion. Hang up this formidable work of art to add an aura of the wild and the otherworldly in your space.
This pendant is a simple but substantial piece of adornment. From the delicately fingered palms and the pot belly, to the signature trunk that dominates the image and the tilak on His temple, the defining curves have been fashioned from gold. The dhoti that clothe His legs brought together in the seated posture, the laddooes in the one hand that is not raised in blessing, and kingly turban that sits on His brow are a glittering silver colour. Despite the minimalistic handiwork of this pendant, it would stand out in your jewellery box as a piece of devotional jewellery that is as complete as it gets.
It is fashioned from the pure homegrown wools, and is a fine example of the highly coveted Kashmiri handiwork. Signs of the latter could be gleaned by zooming in on the luxuriant, richly coloured ari embroidery that dominates the foreground. Team this with your choicest Indian suit or saree, preferably a neutral-coloured one that is low on the embroidery, in order to bring out the best of this number. Such a stole would serve to keep you warm yet fashionable-looking when the galas run a tad late into the evening.
The rich red of Her silk dhoti brings out Her unmistakable ashen blue complexion. Her long silver hair is complemented by the white translucent dupatta around Her head and shoulders and the streams of pristine pearls that constitute Her shringar interspersed with studded gold. From Her protruding fangs and the third eye popping out from the vibhuti on Her brow, to the fact that from Her body language She barely acknowledges the trimurt's homage, everything about Her exudes a divine degree of power possible only for a Hindu devi. What sets this apart from the other watercolours in this series is the soorya-roopi mandala within which the Devi and Her worshippers are contained.
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