May You Prosper

The Tradition of all the arts in South India had their roots in temple rituals. The Kalamkari cloth was no exception and transferred on to cloth the old traditions of religious mural paintings. The fine craftsmen of this pen and brush technique painted the narratives of religious legends.

Besides the priceless amrita, the churning of the ocean yielded other precious objects such as Surabhi, Lakshmi, and Rambha etc. When she was born from the ocean, Lakshmi's beauty was so dazzling that Vishnu gathered her up in his arms and she became his wife. She is worshipped as the goddess of wealth and fortune. Here she is seated on a lotus, which is her image when she is represented without Vishnu. Around her are lotus flowers and she holds the same in two hands. She holds no other attribute in the other hands but makes a gesture of blessing. Because of her association with the lotus flowers, she is named 'Padma.' She wears an ornate crown and jewelry in her ears, neck, arms and feet. Lakshmi is placed in a decorative niche above which are two parrots, symbol of Kama, but associated with Lakshmi as well.

On a base of beige, this Kalamkari is worked upon in monochrome with a bold black outline, which saves the painting from becoming dull. In fact, the color scheme literally and actually fades in front of the theme of the craftwork as Lakshmi is widely worshipped for wealth and Prosperity.

The description by Kiranjyot