From beneath the lotus-throne, the shades of blue of the waters seemingly evaporate upwards into the skies. Gossamer tints of a cold, ice-like blue predominate the background of the composition. Shimmering against the same is the pure gold with which the crown of Lord Ganesha has been finished, and the rubies, sapphires, and emeralds studded therein. The roseate complexion of His chubby body is brought out by the richly coloured silks He is wearing and the gleaming jewel tones infused into His gold-embossed ornaments. He looks straight ahead of Him with the gaze of omniscience on His brow and the right anterior hand raised in generous blessing.
Lord Ganesha is seated in lalitasana and reclines on a bolster upholstered in green and gold. Next to the golden tassel is His vahana, the humble mouse. Its stance is one of devotion and with its minuscule hands it holds up an offering of a laddoo to Him.
The divinely handsome prince of paraloka (otherworldly realm of existence). In slumber within the coils of Sheshanaga, He dreamed the world into being; as mortal avatara, He delivered us mortals from the clutches of adharma many times. Lord Vishnu, the preserver deity of the Hindu trinity, is the all-powerful, the eternally youthful deity of the Hindu pantheon. The sculpture of Him that you see on this page depicts Him in all His azure-skinned beauty.
Lord Vishnu stands on an upturned lotus with petals the colour of earthy orange and green. His tall, stately figure is clad in a dhoti of orange silk. A world of gold adornments grace His upper body and arms and ankles. He is the chaturbhujadhari, the one possessed of (‘dhari’) four (‘chatur’) arms (‘bhuja’): in the posterior hands are the signature conch and discus, lotus and mace in the anterior hands. Handsomely carved features on an angular face, which convey a composure of superb wisdom.
The most striking aspect of this composition is the way the unusual colour of Lord Vishnu’s complexion contrasts with the remaining colours of the palette. Together with the stylistic elements of the composition, it is a hallmark of the Dravida architecture-influenced contemporary sculptural tradition of the South. In addition to the same are the ornate pedestal where Bhoodevi and Shridevi, the wives of Vishnu, are seated on either edge, the Kirtimukham aureole that seems to swallow down the Lord’s crown, and the ornate aureole that frames the central standing deity.
A solitary leaf of the peepal tree floats through the lokas (realms of existence). The complex venation of its body has been executed with superfine strokes of the brush dipped in black paint. A natural silhouette that expresses symmetry but not overly so. The chaturbhujadhari Lord Ganesha rests on the soft surface of the peepal leaf. His body and stance are that of an adorable little boy; indeed, the son of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati is the most widely loved baala-deva (boy-deity) of the Hindu pantheon.
The Lord has seemingly broken into a divine dance routine. The right leg He bends at the knee and raises above the left. The anterior hands are in a classical mudra. The posterior arms He raises above His head, wielding the conch in the right hand and a clutch of lotus-buds in the left. Brimming with wisdom and innocence, His enchanting little elephant head is turned to one side in the direction of the lotus-buds. He gazes at them with all the hope and admiration of a spotless heart.
The background of the composition is made up of the densely packed waves of a paralokiya (otherworldly) body of water. Finely spaced-out strokes of the brush on tussar silk, the fabric from which this patta (canvas) is made and which gives it the signature ivory colour. Hints of a deep saffron shade are to be found along the extended motifs that frame the painting (in true pattachitra style) and in the crown and shringar of Lord Ganesha.
Lustrous and long Trishul with a pointed sharp tip at the bottom holds great significance. Every implement of the divine has its own importance and so the trident also holds its significance. The upper three sharp and pointed faces of the trident resemble waking, dreaming, and sleeping or the three aspects of consciousness.
Upon a throne of bejeweled gold, upholstered in blue and purple velvet, sits the gorgeous Devi Lakshmi. Her legs are in lalitasana, the signature stance in Indian iconography; and lotuses in Her posterior hands, symbols of wealth and plenty in Her anterior ones. The richly colored silks and ample jewels that clothe Her convey the divine glamour of the wife of Lord Vishnu.
The painting that you see on this page is a skilfully executed watercolor, with the level of detail and the metallic handiwork that has gone into the work. However, vibrant jewel tones and copious proportions of pure embossed gold make it fit to hold a candle to the finest oil paintings. Note the shimmering crimson of Devi’s saree, the emerald green of Her blouse as well as the rug beneath Her footstool, and the sheer infusion of gold in Her roofed-up throne, the adornments on Her person, and the plenitude pot in Her anterior left hand.
That which shines brighter than gold is Devi’s fair complexion. From the skin of Her superbly youthful face to the tautness of Her inner arms, She looks every bit the queen of Lord Vishnu’s heart that She is. An unassuming background of dark ochre gradient brings out the colors and the gold in the foreground. More embossed gold is to be found along the edges of the painting which resemble continuous vines of soft, fruit-laden gold.
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