Damayanti and the Painter

Damayanti and the Painter

 by Ranjha. From the Nala Damayanti series.
Kangra School. Late 18th century AD.


            Having fallen in love with Nala, Damayanti dreams about him (she is shown sleeping in the right side of the painting). In the morning, she calls a painter to paint her dream. The painter, with his bag, enters her palace from the left side of the painting.  In the center, we see the painter sitting on a low stool (chawki) painting a loving couple on the wall under Damayanti's instructions. 
           Ranjha ha caught the  liveliness of the palace with all its nuances.  The maid leading the artist into palace. The peacock on the roof; the ducks waddling into the courtyard for a drink at the fountain.  He even tells us that it is the summer month as the artist has his head covered with a cloth; the peacock hardly has his lush tail; the ducks are thirsty. 
           Ranjha, like Fattu, captures the different stratas of the society: the low paid, the low status of the artist;  the luxurious surroundings of the rich princess; the old but fat maid standing almost as a supervisor, keeping her eyes open as a man has come to the Zennanakhana (the Ladies Palace). Damayanti's friends and maids gossip while Damayanti describes her Prince Charming to the painter. Their giggles and the quacking of the ducks fills the air.
       Although the painting is stylised, it is full of realism. Ranjha was a minute observer.

Damayanti Listening to Praises of Nala

Damayanti Listening to Praises of Nala

by Ranjha. From the Nala Damayanti series.
Kangra School.  Late 18th century AD.


              Storytellers have come to the court of Raja Bhima, Damayanti's father. They sing praises about Raja Nala. From the window of her palace Damayanti listens to the storytellers praising Nala. She falls in love with him. In the background,  she tells her Sakhis " I have captured and kept Nala in my heart like the deer is kept in the palace."
             Compositionally,  this is one of the most complex painting of Kangra School. Ranjha cleverly divides the painting into three parts. In the central part, we see Raja Bhima sitting with three courtiers, listening to a group of bards. The bards stand in the courtyard and sing. They have brought a humble tribute for the Raja: coconut and the Kush grass. On the right, having lifted the curtain of her window, we see Damayanti listening to the storytellers from her balcony.  In the background, she sits in the inner courtyard, listening to music and carrying on a conversation with her friend while a deer drinks from the water fountain. 
              The narrative technique is quite complex.  Three different episodes,  in three different time frame, in different settings are contained in one painting.  Different perspectives are used to present the continuous narration of the story. This narrative technique is quite common in Indian art.
              The individualization of the faces, the costumes of the men, the architecture of the buildings reveal the influence of the Mughal art on the Pahari region. Though the story is Hindu, the setting is Mughal. After all, the story is of love. Love where difference between people disappears; where one learns from the other and enriches oneself; where one accommodates the differences and lives in harmony with each other. It is this love which is reflected in the works of Ranjha

The Glory of Court of Nala

The Glory of Court of Nala

by Ranjha (1750-1830) From the Nala Damayanti series.
Kangra School.  Late 18th century AD.


                Ranjha was the youngest son of Nainsukh, the famous Kangra painter. Ranjha painted the story of Nala and Damayanti in a series of miniatures called the Nala Damayanti series. These paintings can be seen in Jammu. They are available in the museum owned by Raja Karan Singh of Jammu and Kashmir. 
                The story of Nala and Damayanti is originally told in the Hindu epic, Mahabharat.  But these paintings are based on a twelfth century version of the same story written by Sriharsa called Naisadhacaritra or simply Naisadha. Raja Nala was the king of Naisadha. Hence, the story of Naisadha.
           The story of Nala and Damayanti is a story of love and sacrifice.  But this series of paintings end with the marriage of Nala and Damayanti.  Thus, the paintings concentrate only on love.
           Nala sits in his court with his courtiers.  A courtier has just entered the court and does the 'paibosh' , the three time salutation which was done for the Mughal emperors.  Of course, Nala's court does not have the opulence and grandeur of the Mughal Court. Instead, it is a simple court of a Pahari Raja. Ranjha seems to have based it on the court of Raja of Kangra, Sansar Chand. In fact, the face of Nala resembles the portraits of Raja Sansar Chand. This is not surprising as Raja Sansar  Chand was patron of the family of Pandit Seu. Nala sits on a throne which is on the floor, unlike the Mughal throne which was kept at a height.  This reflects the close relationship between the ruler and the ruled.
            He influence of Mughal miniature is clear in Ranjha's work. But Ranjaha has learned precision from Nainsukh and delicacy of colors from his cousin brother, Fattu. But he surpases Fattu in his composition as we will soon see. 

Ragani Todi

Ragani Todi

Fattu from a Ragamala series.
Kangra School. Late 18th century AD

          Besides painting the Bhagwat Puran series,  and the Bihari Sat Sai series, Fattu is said to have also  painted a Ragamala series. In this painting we find the familiar Fattu's images, a deep landscape,  flowering trees,  a flowing river, animals and birds. This work appears to be by Fattu.
         Classical Indian music is based on Raga system where each Raga is assigned certain notes in ascending and descending order. A combination of these notes improvised by the musician is supposed to create a certain mood. Each Raga or Ragani has to be played at a particular time of the day or night, or during a particular season.
          Ragani Todi is a melody which depicts the pangs of separation between lovers. Lost in the thoughts of her lover, the Nayika (heroine) plays the Vina--a stringed instrument.  Hearing the melodious music, the pair of black bucks are drawn towards the Nayika. A bird flies towards her mate sitting amongst the tree--symbolic of the fact that the lover would
come back to the Nayika.
            Like the Ragani the painting is lyrical and melodious.

The Glimpse of Krishna

 The Glimpse of Krishna

 by Fattu. From the Bihari Sat Sai.
 Kangra School. Late 18th century AD.

        Bihari describes the different morning activities of the Nayika. Here she sits taking a bath on the terrace when suddenly Krishna appears from nowhere.  Radha is not embarrassed.  Instead she looks at Krishna through her wet hair.
        Fattu was a master draftsman who has painted a delicate nude Radha. She is not naked, but nude. The difference between the two is that while a nakef body arouses sexual desire in the viewer as in pornography, the nude does not. The nude is unabashed of her/ his beauty.  She/ he does not show off its sexuality.  Here Radha though without clothes is presented as the ideal of feminine beauty according to the taste of her time. The woman is delicate, porcelain like, with small breasts, big hips, flowing hair, delicate hands. All the women look alike. For they are not individuals,  but a symbol of beauty.
        We structure our world around us with artificial factors. But  we have to cleanse ourselves to be able to see God. Since God is omnipresent,  he can appear suddenly and from anywhere.  The relationship between soul and God is an eternal one.

The Message of the Eyes

The Message of the Eyes

by Fattu. From Bihari Sat Sai series.
Kangra School.  Late 18th century AD.

               Indian poets have bern written rapturously about the eyes of a Nayika and Nayak. For,  the eyes are the windows to the soul of the person. In Bihari's poem one Sakhi (friend) says to the other: "Although her glance may wonder to others, but it turns away immediately Seeing her own lord her gaze  becomes steady like the mariner's compass."
         In another couplet he writes describing the behaviour of lovers through the exchange of glances as :
             "They speak, disagree,  rejoice, get annoyed, get reconciled again, feel pleased, and then absorbed,
While seated in the crowded hall, they speak to each other with their eyes".
            Fattu seems to have painted the latter couplet in this painting.  Radha is crossing a hall when she suddenly realises that Krishna is staring at her. She turns around, looks at him, and the message is conveyed.  The Sakhis standing in the hall have understood the undercurrents of love between the lovers. Gossip has started.
           To communicate with divinity one doesn't need a middleman. To look at God one needs to close one's eyes and communicate directly to Him. Even while living a busy life, one can be in communion with God. Hence the lovers in a crowded hall.

Quest for the Lover in Moonlight

Quest for the Lover in Moonlight


by Fattu. From the Bihari Sat Sai series.
Kangra School. Late 18th century AD.

          The lady who goes out to meet her lover is called "the Suklabhisarika." Dressed in white chunnari, she hides herself in the full moon's light. Bihari says:
         The young maiden was ao much like the moonlight that walking under the shinning moon she became invisible. Her companion was able to follow her guided by the fragrance of her limbs.
       Fattu, with a limited palate,  has captured the Nayika walking slowly under the moonlight.  She is seen only because of the shadow cast by her. The Sakhi (friend) turns to see if there are any lurking dangers. The tranquility of the night, the unknown dangers and fears are caught beautifully.
      White is the color of purity.  The pure soul quietly moves towards God in its spiritual journey.  It is accompanied by the guru, who looks after the pitfalls and dangers around us. He guides us in our eternal quest for enlightenment,  for Moksha (liberation).

In Search of Her Lover

In Search of Her Lover

 by Fattu. From the Bihari Sat Sai series.
 Kangra School. Late 18th century AD.

        Trying to avoid the constant gaze of the people, lovers prefer to meet at night. Bihari says: Thougg clad in blue, the dark night cannot hide her as she goes to meet her lover.The flame-like brilliance of her body illumines the night itself.

        She is the 'Abhisarika' Nayika, brave, courageous,  driven by passion who undertakes the treacherous path in order to rendezvous with her lover at night. With muted dark colors of the buildings, with starry night, Fattu depicts the stillness of the night. The Sakhi (friend) leads the Nayika to her destination.

         Life is like the dark night; the path of devotion is a treacherous one. One needs a friend, philosopher and guide, a guru, to be led to enlightenment. The soul is self-luminous, but incomplete till it unites with the creator. The path is long, but not unending.

Restlessness of Love

Restlessness of Love

by Fattu. From the Bihari Sat Sai series.
Kangra School.  Late 18th century AD.

        No matter what happens the Nayika must see the Nayak. In Bihari Sat Sai one Sakhi describes Radha's condition to another Sakhi in the following words:
        Entangled in love, the Nayika is behaving like an acrobat,Running up and down from the attic of her house, she does not feel tired,On one side is the pull of her newly born love, On the other is the honour of her family,Streched between the two she feels severely afflicted, And spends her days rotating like a pully.She moves from one place to another, and does not tarry even for a moment. She has no peace of mind and like a revolving yo-yo she is constantly in a whirl.
         Seeing Kriahna from far, Radha rushes to the top floor. Whe he nears her abode, she comes down to her first floor. When he passes by her house, she stands at her door staring at Him.
                God can be known through different states of the mind: conscious,  unconscious and subconscious.  Thus, the three floors of the house. As the Sufis say, God is everywhere.  We just have to experience him.

Encounter in the Darkness

Encounter in the Darkness

 by Fattu. From the Bihari Sat Sai series.
Kangra School. Late 18th century AD.

          In the darkness of the night, through the lanes of Vrindavan, the lovers walk past each other. They recognise each other by the familiarity of their limbs.

          Fattu captures the darkness of the night by the muted colors of the buildings,  and by the star studded night. Only the figures glow in the darkness. Fattu places the buildings in hap-hazard ways in order to suggest the meandering lanes of a village.

          We recognise God in the dark hours of our life. We recognise Him by his acts of mercy, and benevolence. It is when we are caught in a labyrinth,  that we seek a guide, we seek God. The village and its by lanes are a metaphor for the complexities of our lives. But even in our darkest hour, both the God and the soul glow.

Tossing the Flower

Tossing the Flower

by Fattu. From the Bihari Sat Sai series.  Kangra School. Late 18th century AD.

       This is one of the most animated Kangra miniature. Radha is about to hot back the flower tossed by Krishna; Krishna is ready to catch it. A sakhi (friend) stands and watches the game and the fun and frolic between the lovers.
       Fattu subtly combines the high energy of the two human figures with the serinity of the landscape in the background.  The hills rise, the river flows quietly,  the trees stand silently. It is the human and the divine who are active.
       According to Hindu mythology,  Krishna is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu--the God who maintains Nature. Radha is an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi--the Goddess of wealth. It is they who maintian the universe. They must be active. The flower is a symbol of the time, space and of the fluctuating character of Nature, of life. At one level the painting depicts an innocent game between lovers; at another level, it is a philosophical statement about life and Nature. That is the beauty of Indian art.

Love Longings

Love Longings

 by Fattu. From the Bihari Sat Sai series
 Late 18th century AD.

             Surrounded by her family members and friends, how does Radha express her love for the young Krishna who is sixteen years junior to her? Bihari writes:
            Having first looked at me with greedy eyes,Hidden behind the hem of her veil,And then craftily touching her shadow for a moment with mine,The graceful  maiden now walks away."
           In Indian art love is often expressed by signs and symbols. A woman in love expresses her desire by casting side-long glances, scratching her ears, or touching her ornaments.  Seeing Krishna suddenly,  Radha momentarily stops, touches her chin, looks at Krishna, lets her shadow fuse with his, and walks off. Love is subtly conveyed without much fanfare. Love is like a fragrance to be felt; it is not like an ornament to be displayed. But love does not go unnoticed;  already whispers have started in the background with the Sakhis (friends) talking about in the doorway, with the two woman, a young and an old one, discussing it in the balcony. Fattu carries us from the closed space of a courtyard to the deep space of the rolling hills.
       Life is always fleeting, like a damsel walking away. The shadows unite as life is ephemeral, momentary. We see a glipse of thr Almighty. We express our love for Him only in a fraction of a second.  Love is eternal, its expression momentarily.

Half Was She Hidden, Half Revealed

Half Was She Hidden,  Half Revealed

by Fattu. From the Bihari Sat Sai series.
 Kangra School.  Late 18th century AD.

        Krishna stands at his doorway looking at a Gopi who had come to his house asking for curd. Like a poet, He is infatuated by her half hidden, half revealed body. Bihari says:
        The unmatched brilliance of her earrings ahines through her thin garment;It seems as if a leafy branch of the Tree of Paradise is glittering on the ocean.Ahe looked at me smilingly,  after turning back from the door-step;
        She came to take curd, but ahe planted her love in my heart.The Sakhi (friend) informs Radha as to how Krishna has again fallen in love with another Gopi ( a milk-maiden). Fattu has stunningly painted the beauty of a woman half hidden and half revealed through a cotton sari. Having borrowed curd, shyly she walks away. Leaving Krishna in raptures.
        No matter on what pretext we approach God, He is thrilled by our love for Him. The curd is the 'prasad', the blessings we carry from him as we walk in our life. He is all merciful, He is ever so kind and loving. We are all half clad, half revealed as we are pious yet sinful. But nonetheless He loves us dearly.

The Lovely Damsel

The Lovely Damsel

by Fattu. From the Bihari Sat Sai series. 

Kangra School.  Late 18th century AD.

           Krishna passes by Radha's house when she suddenly appears on the doorway. Their gazes meet. Both are lost in each other. Later on Krishna describes her beauty in these terms:
          Tired with climbing the mountains of her breasts,My gaze proceeded slowly to see the beauty of her face,Having met the pit of her chin on the way,It fell into it, never to come out again.This couplet describes the beauty of a cleft in the chin of a Nayika.
         Fattu has caught the suddenness of the meeting with Radha adjusting her 'odhani' and turning to see who passes her street. Fattu has also captured the simplicity of a village, with the sophistication of the city in the background.  He also places a romantic symbol in the two birds sitting amongst the branches. 
Fattu's composition can be recognised easily.  Within an oval frame, he places building structure in the foreground and a landscape beyond the building in the background.  Invariably there is redness in the sky marking the early morning.  Few figures are painted to bring out the  essence of love, the theme of Bihari's poetry.
         Never has love been captured in more subtle ways than in Fattu's paintings.

The Village Beauty

The Village Beauty

by Fattu. From the Bihari Sat Sai series.
 Kangra School. Late 18th century AD.

           Bihari has not only described different types of Nayikas, but has also described their anatomical details. Here he describes a voluptuous village girl who stands and guards her field. According to him, " A garland of water-lilies adorns her breast,
           And flowers of sann-hemp bedeck her forehead,
Thus standing, the lovely damsel, with elevated bosom,
Keeps watch on the field."
       Fattu has captured the typical Kangra rice fields with the rice in blossom, large boulders, a flowing waterway for irrigating the fields. In the background, the elderly woman describes the beauty of the young girl to Krishna.
       Fattu is not interested in capturing the royalty, but in capturing his fellow villagers. He provides a look at the world of the commaner. The young damsel not only harks back to the Yakshi of ancient Indian art, but she also personifies Mother Nature tending all of us--the crop. A village belle is transformed into a symbol of divinity.

The Radiant Beauty

The Radiant Beauty

by Fattu. From the Bihari Sat Sai series.
 Kangra School. Late 18th century AD.

        Besides painting the Bhagwat Puran series, Fattu also did a series of paintings based on the poetry of Bihari called the Sat Sai. Bihari Lal Chaube ( 1595- 1663) was the court poet of Mirza Raja Jai Singh of Amber (Jaipur). At his instance Bihari composed 700  couplets. These couplets deal with the love between Krishna and Radha, the hero and heroine of Bhakti cult. These couplets have been arranged according to the classification of Nayika (heroine) and Nayak (hero).
        Fattu paints the couplet as under:Clad in the newly-washed garment, the Nayika is cooking;The kitchen is shining with the radiance of her lovely face.
          The oval format is a hallmark of Fattu's work. He paints Radha cooking in her simple kitchen.  She is no princess, but is a villager sitting in her hut and cooking. Her Sakhi (friend) describes her radiant beauty to Krishna who is tending his cows in thr background.  Fattu's strength is his ability to transform the divine couple into ordinary human beings. Divinity becomes accessible.

Krishna Kills Raja Kansa

Krishna Kills Raja Kansa

 by Fattu. Bhagwat Puran Series.
 Kangra School. Mid-18th century AD.

          Raja Kansa tries his level best to get Krishna killed. Having failed with the mad elephant, Kansa asks Krishna to wrestle with the royal wrestlers. Krishna and Balaram kill all five royal wrestlers. In fury, Kansa tells his sepoys to arrest Krishna, Balaram, Nanda, Vasudev and his own father Ugrasen and to kill them. Hearing this Krishna loses his temper, drags Kansa from his throne and kills him. Kansa's eight brothers rush to rescue Kansa. Balaram kills all of them with a stick. Pandemonium breaks out. While soldiers run here and there, the Gopas celebrate the victory by playing the drums.
          Fattu shows Krishna draging Kansa's dead body, while his eight dead brothers lie in a heap.
        The killing of Kansa has been seen as endorsing the idea of a political revolution.  The people have the right to violently overturn a bad regime.  But unlike China, Indian history has not witnessed violent revolutions.  In our democracy, we prefer ballots over bullets. Changes are necessary and inevitable,  but they should be through peaceful means. Presently we are seeing a momentous change in our country.  It is a historical moment.

Krishna Kills the Demon Elephant Kuvalayapida

Krishna Kills the Demon Elephant Kuvalayapida

 by Fattu. Bhagwat Puran Series.
Mid-18th century AD.

        When Krishna and Balaram arrive at Mathura they meet certain adventures. Raja Kansa's laundryman (dhobi) misbehaves with them. They kill him. When they reach the Raja's court, the mad elephant, Kuvalayapida, rushes to crush Krishna. He grabs the elephant's tusk and throws him on the ground. The elephant driver (mahawat) lies crushed under the elephant.  The palace soldiers run away. There is palpable terror in the court. A soldier runs inside the palace gate to inform the Raja about the incident.  Krishna has come to kill Kansa.
          Fattu subtly depicts Krishna's power. The elephant is a large animal before whom even Krishna is dwarfed.  But with the stroke of a fist, Krishna would kill the mad elephant.  Of course, Balaram and Gopas are ever ready to join the fray. Fattu places the scene in his contemporary world. The palace is a Mughal one; the soldiers are in Mughal attire.  The scene is not of a by gone age; the scene is of here and now. By placing it in his own time, he makes the scene comprehensible and relevant.
          The painting can be interpreted at three different levels: it is a scene of confrontation between the rural and urban life-style. Krishna and his friends were strangers to the big city culture. There is bound to be a clash of thinking, of life-style. Secondly, it is a political statement of the clash between the Pahari kingdoms with the Mughal Empire. Jahangir had invaded and conquered Kangra. It is a reassuring scene showing the victory of Kangra people over the mighty Mughals. Thirdly, in the Hindu mythology,  the elephant is the symbol of wisdom. When wisdom goes mad, only divinity can control or destroy it. The story of divinity controlling a mad elephant is common both in Hindu and Buddhist mythologies.  Even Buddha is said to have subdued a mad elephant.

Akrura Arrives at Vrindavan

Akrura Arrives at Vrindavan

by Fattu. Bhagwat Puran Series.
Kangra School. Mid-18th century AD.

           Krishna's days at Vrindavan were coming to an end. Akrura had arrived at Vrindavan to take Krishna and Balrama to Mathura as Raja Kansa had called them. Akrura  has arrived in the morning when the village is just getting up. The cows are still in the shed; the women are gossiping in the veranda; the calf is running to its mother; the Gopas are reaching Krishna's house for taking the herd of cows for grazing. Akrura  informs the aged Nanda and Yashoda about the invitation. The old milkman, who has just heard the news, is wonder struck. But the terrible news is yet to travel through the village. The royal chariot awaits to take Krishna and Balaram to Mathura.
          Fattu is very subtle in creating suspense, and in capturing the brewing tension. If Raja Kansa has 'invited' Krishna nad Balaram, either they will be killed or imprisoned. Vrindavan would lose its heros.  Yet we all know that Raja Kansa was inviting his own death.
        At times what may appear to be a disaster,  ends up being a blessing in disguise. Reality can be tricky. We react to situations; we need to respond to it after taking all the relevant factors into account.  Surely Raja Kansa could not kill a divinity like Krishna. The battle between good and evil has just begun.

Krishna Steals the Clothes of the Gopis

 Krishna Steals the Clothes of the Gopis

 

 by Fattu, Bhagwat Puran Series
 Kangra School, Mid-18th century AD.

              Vrindavan was not just a place for troubles and difficulties,  but was also a place for Krishna's endless pranks: stealing butter, breaking the water pots, or stealing the clothes of the Gopis while the bathe in the Yamuna.
            While the Gopis bathe, Krishna steals their clothes and waits for them to come out. When they are finished bathing, the Gopis are horrified to find their clothes. They beg Krishna to return the clothes. Some Gopis walk towards him, others sit on the river bank, few stay in the river. Other Gopis are coming down to the river as the sun breaks through the horizon.
           This is not a painting on voyeurism.  It is symbolic of the fact that we human beings have egos which give us a sense of identity, yet a sense of dilution.  We construct our worlds according to our notions. But such notions are neither the truth, nor the reality, nor permanent.  They are as decorative and temporary as clothes are. Once we understand the higher truths of our existence,  our dilutions, and ego disappear. We stand naked before the God. We stand in our pristine condition as eternal souls who must mingle with godhood. The spiritual journey is endless. God waits for us to come to him in our original Self.

Krishna Frees Sudarshan

Krishna  Frees Sudarshan

by Fattu. Bhagwat Puran Series
Kangra School. Mid-18th century AD.

          Once Krishna's family was worshiping the Devi at night, when suddenly a python came a bit Nanda who was sleeping. While some Gopas rushed to Nanda's rescue, Krishna stepped on the snake. The snake was relieved of his curse. Sudarshan, a Vidhyadar, emerged from the snake and bowed to Krishna.
          Fattu has caught the commotion of the scene and contrasted it with the stillness of a starry night.  On one side, the musicians play the drum and the horns; on the other side, the Gopas try to shoo away the python with the fire. The group of women sit and sing the hymns to the goddess; Krishna gently steps on the snake, releasing the young Vidhyadhar from his eternal curse. Interestingly, the men and women sit in segregation much as we do even today.
           God not only saves us from our troubles, but also redeems us of our sins. He reforms us and gives us a new lease of life. He is the  saviour.

Lord Indra Bows to Krishna

Lord Indra Bows to Krishna

by Fattu. Bhagwat Puran Series
Kangra School,Mid-18th century AD.

         Angry about being ignored, Lord Indra had ordered the clouds to pound Vrindavan with torrential rains. The villagers had rushed to Krishna for protection.  Krishna had lifted Mt. Goverdhan on his small finger, like an umbrella, providing protection to the people.  He sent the Sudershan Chakra, his disk, to absorb the rains. Seeing this miracle, and realising Krishna's divinity, Lord Indra paid salutation to Krishna. On the left He pays homage to Krishna by bowing before him. On right, He and his vehicle,  Aravat, the white elephant,  attend upon Krishna as He takes his shower.
        Since lifting of Mt. Goverdhan is an important episode from the Bhagwat Puran, Fattu would have painted it. Perhaps the miniature is a lost work of his as it is not in the series available at the National Museum in New Delhi.
       When a new idea comes, such as worship a mountain instead of Lord Indra, there is bound to be opposition.  A conflict ensues. Those who oppose finally succumb.  A new path is discovered. Hegal, the famous German philosopher, called it didactics. Where there is thesis and anti-thesis, both come in conflict,  then there is synthesis. And the civilization progresses.
      There may have been a conflict between the declining Vedic Gods and the emerging cult of Vaishvanism. The society harmonised the two by bringing Lord Indra into the fold of Vaishvanism.  He becomes a minor deity.  He awaits on Krishna. The Indian mind does not believe in exterminating a contrary view. It believes in assimilation.  Hence the plurality in Indian civilization.  Plurality of vision is one of our greatest strengths. This miniature depicts that vision of assimilation and harmony

Goverdhan Parikrama (Worshiping Mt. Goverdhan)

Goverdhan Parikrama (Worshiping Mt. Goverdhan)

 by Fattu. Bhagwat Puran Series
 Kangra School. Mid-18th century AD.

            Krishna disuaded his fellow villagers from worshipping Lord Indra. Instead, He pointed to the importance of Mt. Goverdhan which gave them fuel woods, and grass, which brought the rains.
          The people of Vrindavan followed his advice.  While an elderly gentleman bows to the mountain,  men, women and children circumbulate the mountain.  A Gopa, in the extreme left side, points to a small figure of Lord Vishnu sitting on top of the mountain. Folk musicians play the horn and beat the drums in joyous mood. Krishna lovingly looks at Nanda. A Gopi turns to look both at Balaram and Krishna. There is an element of reverence, an element of suspense as it is the first time the villagers have broken the long tradition of worshipping Lord Indra. We all know the revenge Lord Indra took on Vrindavan by inflicting torrential rains, till Krishna lifted Mt. Goverdhan on his small finger and provided shelter and protection to his people.
         Historians view this story as a clash between the Vedic gods and the rise of Vashnavism cult. Lord Vishnu begins to replace the Vedic Gods: Indra,  Agni, Varun and Yama. But this story can also be seen as the emphasis Hinduism places on conservation of the environment.  Like Taoism in China, religions in India have emphasised the place of Man in nature: we are but one small element of Nature. We must peacefully co-exist in Nature. We must protect and promote it.
        But unfortunately we remember and perform the rituals; we forget the message, the meaning behind the rituals. Presently, Mt. Goverdhan is worshipped by thousands of devotees, yet the area is cleaned by none. It continues to be a highly polluted areas. We pollute the water and air, but belive in the divinity of stones and trees. Krishna could only be laughing at our ignorance of His divine message.

Lord Brahma Hides the Gopas and the Cows in a Cave

Lord Brahma Hides the Gopas and the Cows in a Cave

by Fattu. Bhagwat Puran Series
Kangra School. Mid-18th century AD.

     Lord Brahma wanted to test Krishna's divinity. One day He hid all the Gopas and thr cows in a cave. Krishna could not find them. By the evening he had to return to Vrindavan with them. Unable to locate them, he sat and created their images from mud, breathed life into these dolls and took them back to Vrindavan at dusk.
         Fattu shows three Gopas and  a few cows inside a cave. Lord Brahma flies of on his vehicle.  Although his vehicle is the swan, here we see Him flying on a crane. Swans were unknown to the Pahari painters.
        This is one of the most beautiful landscape painting of the Kangra School. The colors, the beige,  the pinks, the oranges, the different shades of green and blue resonate throughout the painting.  The linear quality of the trees, the grass, the peacocks, gives the painting a poetical effect.
        Difficulties are not created just by those who are around us; it can be created by divinity too. According to the Sufis, Allah tests our soul and our devotion by making our lives difficult. But like Krishna we have to think out of the box in order to solve our problems.  Our abilities prove the divine in us.

Krishna Swallows the Forest Fire

Krishna Swallows the Forest Fire

by Fattu. Bhagwat Puran Series
Kangra School.  Mid-18th century.

       Forest fires are common in the summer months. Once the herd of cows were caught in such a fire. Krishna asked his friends to close their eyes. He swallowed the fire. Frightened by the fire, a bird flies to the safety of a tree; a snake, at the bottom of the painting,  runs. The cows are bewildered.  Krishna stands quietly,  drinking the fire.
      Miracles are part of divinity. All of us are surrounded by our troubles.  But the Almighty gets rid of them. Meanwhile,  others are unaware of our problems and how they were solved--they are represented here by the Gopas with their eyes closed. We are like the cows--bewildered,  lost, anxious.  But He is always there for us.
     This is a painting of hope, of joy,  of salvation.

Krishna Kills Kalia

Krishna Kills Kalia

by Fattu. Bhagwat Puran Series.
 Kangra School. Mid-18th century AD.

            Having revived his friends and herd of cows, Krishna jumped into the Yamuna River in order to discover the source of poison. He met a huge snake, Kalia. Kalia was asleep when Krishna arrived. Krishna kicked him. A great fight ensued between the two. Eventually Krishna crushes Kalia under his feet. Kalia's four wives beg mercy for their husband. Krishna forgives Kalia and tells him to gather thousand lotus and present them to Raja Kansa.
           Fattu has captured the moment of triumph,  the moment of defeat. Kalia with his seven bleeding hoods succumbs to Krishna. Kalia's wives sue for peace.
          Kalia is a symbol of our negative, thus, poisonous emotions: anger, avarice,  lust, greed, violence, jealousy,  selfishness.  We have to conquer these emotions in order to succeed in life. The killing of Kalia is similar to the concept of 'jehad' in Islam, I.e. kill your vices, or to the concept of repentance in Christianity.  It is only by killing our desires and by controlling our impulses,  that we rise to a higher state of conscience.  Like Kalia's wives, nature offers us peace, tranquillity and spiritual wealth.

Krishna Resurrects Gopas

Krishna Resurrects Gopas

by Fattu, From the Bhagwat Puran Series
Kangra School, Mid-18th century

      As with mere mortals, troubles follow Krishna. Wanting to teach a lesson to the people of Vrindavan, Kansa asks the great serpent Kalia to poison the Yamuna River. The innocent Gopas and the cows drink the river water. They die. Krishna finds his friends and his herd dead near the river bank. He looks at the with compassion.  They revive. While one sits up, the other Gopa stands up to adjust his skull cap.   One of the cows tries to get up. From the dead, the Gopas and the cows rise as though nothing had happened. 
       Fattu has shown the polluted Yamuna as being frothy. The willow tree in the background is without flowers. Thus, lifeless. God's entry into our lives revives it.
       We are dead till we reach the level of higher consciousness.  Our lives are polluted till compassion is learned and practiced. Despite our pollution, our misdeeds,  God is full of compassion.  He raises us to a higher level of conscience.  We all live and drink from the polluted river of life, till God shows us mercy and compassion.