The mighty Garuda is seen here crushing serpents under his feet. It is stated that as a result of a dispute between his mother Vinita and Kadru, the mother of serpents, a continuous enmity had been going on between the two and Garuda was on the look out to devour all serpents he could find. That explains the traditional enmity between the eagle and the snake. The artist has given Garuda enormous wings and a menacing beak. He is crowned and wears other ornaments. He also adorns the mark of Vishnu on his forehead. In his hand, he carries a jar, containing Amrita (ambrosia). Purportedly, Garuda had stolen the amrita from the gods in order to purchase his mother's freedom from the clutches of Kadru, the mother of the powerful, many headed serpents.
The painting speaks of simplicity of the folk style. The line is bold, withholding a few basic colors the dull brown body is brightened with the red lion cloth; ornaments contain some more basic colors. The background is blue, stating the air borne status of Garuda.
This description by Renu Rana.
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