This miniature reproduces an earlier painting, exactly the same theme, style and palette. It manipulates, like its proto-model, two sets of images widely painted in miniatures, Pahari in special, one portraying eighteen-armed Devi – often in her manifestations as Mahalakshmi or Durga, and the other, gods – usually Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, Agni, Yama, and Vayu among others, all identified by their prescribed body colours and their attributes, paying homage to Devi. Here in this painting, as in its primordial early model, the gods have been either far more humanized to look like kings and princes, or have been replaced by a contingent of them, which in the Rajasthan’s court painting could not be improbable. Except that all figures have different body colours, halos of varying sizes and the foremost in the upper register has multiple eye-like marks on the face, a characteristic feature of Indra, they all are in identical crowns and costumed in fashions current in Indian feudatory those days.
Except her mount lion that the goddess is riding her attributes do not ascertain her identity either as Durga or Mahalakshmi. She carries in her hands on the right side battle-axe, sword, lotus, arrow, khanda – a two-sided broad sword, mace, axe, ring and trident, and on her left, hammer, conch, bell, noose, spear, khanda with rounded blade, bow, shield and snake. The artist seems to have had in mind the primordial manifestation of the divine female that sage Markandeya identified as Devi, Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati being just her manifestations. As for Devi’s Shaivite manifestations, the artist has included in his visualisation an independent icon of Bhairavi with a severed human head in her hand, and as standing on Shiva’s upright body. A transform of Kali, Bhairavi usually has black complexion and fierce appearance. Her golden complexion in the painting links her with Durga, and thus in the painting Durga’s presence has been separately recorded.
Devi is seated on her mount lion. She is wearing over her black lehanga a red odhani covering her head, entire back and half of her front, both with zari-borders and printed in gold, and a half-sleeved blouse conceived with the same light green colour which the artist has used for drawing her halo. Besides her routine ornaments and a lavish crown studded with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphire, pearls and other precious stones, she has on her wrists a wide range of colourful bangles and a broad and long necklace comprising black, red and white beads reaching down her waist.
This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.
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