Maharasa, or the Cosmic Dance of Krishna

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In this painting of Rasa the artist Vidyadevi has effected a unique blend of these all three elements and all manifest quite powerfully. The painting, with its votive significance and drawn with all essentials of a painting, is a 'pata-chitra'. It depicts the cosmic mythology of the legend of Lord Krishna, a cosmic realisation in ephemeral forms, one of the most popularly depicted themes of visual arts, and is thus nearer to Madhubani's 'bhitti-chitra'. The style of rendering the entire theme is essentially that of 'alipana'. Decorative element, which constitutes the major thrust of 'alipana', is superbly rendered in this painting.

The Rasa theme, depicted in the painting, has as great significance in Vaishnava tradition. The rectangular canvas is first reduced to a smaller rectangle and then to a circle which has within it an inner circle containing within it Krishna playing on his flute and Radha holding a lotus, one manifesting the cosmos in sound and the other in auspicious beauty. This inner ring, a broad rimmed one, consists of 'shikhara' motifs conceived with inverted couplings. In between the inner and outer ring there are 'gopis' engaged in dance around Radha and Krishna, representing female and male energies. It is the depiction of Lord Krishna's Maharasa, the cosmic dance, the manifest form of his 'Brahmandiya lila', the cosmic divine act involving entire cosmos in it and love and dance are its prime attributes as also the prime means of His realisation. Love and devotion get best expressed in ecstasy and ecstatic involvement in dance and music. Thus, ecstatic dance and music are the subtlest instruments of Lord's realisation.

It is said one bright moon-lit night Krishna, in absolute ecstasy, played upon his flute his divine music. From Yamuna's silvery shores the music reached the lanes of Vrindavana and to the ears of 'gopis'. Bewitched 'gopis' headed towards Yamuna, though their husbands obstructed them. They disobeyed their husbands, abandoned the house-hold and reached Yamuna. They danced around Krishna. Each one wished that Krishna danced only with her and loved her only. Krishna assumed as many forms as were 'gopis' and danced with each single and in group. He entered Yamuna again in as many forms as were 'gopis' and loved each of them. This act of the Lord is said to be the ever first manifestation of his Maharasa.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

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Of Related Interest:

Rasamandala (Madhubani Painting on Hand Made Paper)

Raas Leela (Water Color on Silk)

Raas Leela (Batik Painting On Cotton)

Singing and Dancing with Krishna (Miniature Painting On Paper)

Dancing over Kaliya (Batik Painting On Cotton)

The Book of Krishna (Hardcover Book)

Colors of Tradition: Exploring the Artistry Behind Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani painting is also known as Mithila art as it is practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. It has specifically originated from the Madhubani district of the state of Bihar. Traditionally, the women of this region created these paintings and in recent years, it has become a widely practiced art and has now become renowned throughout the world. This art expresses the creativity and culture of the people of Mithila and is passed from one generation to another. In this way, the heritage of Madhubani art has been preserved for many decades. The subjects of these paintings are usually religion, love, and fertility. Sometimes, social events like festivals, weddings, and royal court are also depicted in the paintings. The most commonly painted designs and themes are the forms of Hindu Gods and Goddesses such as Ganesha, Shiva, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Krishna, and Ram. The characteristic features of Madhubani paintings are their vibrant colors and eye-catching geometrical patterns. The empty spaces are filled with traditional motifs such as floral and foliate patterns, animals, birds, geometrical structures, and other designs. The local artists create these paintings using a variety of items such as matchsticks, twigs, brushes, pens, or even their own fingers. The paints are usually made with natural dyes and pigments.
As simple as it may seem, the making process of the world-famous Madhubani paintings is certainly not easy and requires lots of hard labor.

Traditional Madhubani paintings are done either on cloth, handmade paper, or canvas. Select the medium of painting as per your choice. If you have chosen cloth, attach it to cardboard to make a solid base. The making of the painting begins with making a double-lined border. This is a very important step because the border is filled with various geographical shapes and patterns or other motifs. The average width of the border is 1.5 - 2 cm. Now that the border is created, you will be left with a blank middle space. This is the main workspace. Start drawing your choice of figure, designs, and shapes. These must be relevant to the Madhubani painting themes.

When the key design has been made, the empty spaces in between are filled with some designs.
Now is the time to color the painting using vivid shades and hues. Colors in Madhubani are sourced from nature; Indigo is used to produce blue, flower juice produces red, turmeric gives yellow, leaves produce green, cow dung mixed soot gives black, and rice powder gives white.

To paint these colors, the artist uses a bamboo stick and wraps cotton around it. This acts as a traditional brush.
The entire painting is now painted using this special brush with natural vibrant colors. · However, in modern times, the common brush is used and instead of natural colors, artists prefer to use acrylic paints.

Since the entire painting is made with natural materials and colors, it appears simple yet enriching. Originally, this art was created on mud walls or soil grounds but when it evolved over many years, the people of Madhubani started to make it on fabric and paper. Today, this art has become globalized and is receiving worldwide attention and appreciation.