The major gods in Indian art traditions have all been given consorts. They are rarely described as celibate recluses. In their incarnate form, they are explicit in their demonstrative attraction for the opposite sex. The goddesses do not lag behind. Their love for their husbands or lovers is often portrayed in an assertively earthy and sensual manner. Gods and goddesses represent a conscious duality, complementing each other.
Krishna was physically irresistibly appealing. Ancient texts dwell at length on his exceptionally alluring countenance: a blue complexion soft like the monsoon cloud, shining locks of black hair framing a beautifully chiseled face, large lotus-like eyes, wild-flower garlands around his neck, a yellow garment (pitambara) draped around his body, a crown of peacock feathers on his head, and a smile playing on his lips, it is in this manner that he is faithfully represented since the ancient times to the modern.
Much as in the Christian art of Medieval Europe, it is the woman the mother, the Madonna suckling a babe who has been painted with reverence, in the Indian Diaspora it is the woman the beloved who has been painted with love and passion.
The female friends of Krishna with their warm sensuous faces, eyes filled with passion, and delicate sensitive fingers, represent not the beauty of a particular woman, but the beauty of entire womanhood. In fact, she is there as the incarnation of all the beauty of the world and as a representative of the charm of her sex.
In the embrace of Krishna, the gopis, maddened with desire, found refuge; in their love dalliance with him who was the master in all the sixty-four arts of love, the gopis felt a thrill indescribable; and in making love with him in that climatic moment of release, in that one binding moment, they felt that joy and fulfillment which could not but be an aspect of the divine.
Through their experience, thus, the erotic the carnal and the profane became but an aspect of the sublime, the spiritual, and the divine. This cumulative myth sustained one basic point: for women, Krishna was a personal god, always accessible and unfailingly responsive. He was a god specially made for women. In the popular psyche, Krishna and Radha became the universal symbol of the lover and the beloved. Krishna was the ideal hero, and Radha was the ideal heroine.
Often the colorful legends surrounding his amorous adventures with female friends prove to be of supreme inspiration to artists. The following tale describing Krishna teasing the gopis by making away with their clothes while they were bathing in the river is one such example:
According to tradition, unmarried girls from ten to fourteen years of age worship the Goddess Durga in order to fulfill their desire for a suitable husband. But the unmarried girls of Vrindavana were already attracted by the beauty of Krishna. Thus, they daily worshipped goddess Durga early in the morning after taking a bath in the river Yamuna and supplicated the goddess to arrange for their match with Krishna.
Each morning, the gopis would assemble together at the banks of Yamuna and, holding one another's hands, loudly sing of the wonderful pastimes of lord Krishna before entering the river. It is an old system among Indian girls and women that when they take a bath in the river, they place their garments on the bank and dip into the water completely naked.
The portion of the river where the girls and women bathe was strictly prohibited to any male, and this is still the system in some parts. One day Krishna appeared on the scene with his friends. Observing the garments left on the bank by the bathing gopis, he immediately collected all the garments, climbed up a nearby tree.
With a smiling face spoke to them thus: "My dear girls, please come here one after another and pray for your garments and then take them away. I'm not joking with you, just telling the plain truth. Please don't come here all at once. Come alone one by one; I want to see each of you in your complete beauty, for you all have thin waists."
When the girls in the water heard such joking words from Krishna, they began to look at one another and smile. Though outwardly showing resentment they were joyous to hear such a request because they were already in love with him.
They then addressed him: " Do not joke with us in this way, it is unjust to us. You are a very respectable boy and very dear to us, so kindly deliver our garments immediately because we are all shivering from the cold water, and end our suffering."
But all their supplications could not convince Krishna. Seeing that Krishna was strong and determined, they had no alternative but to abide by his command. One after another they came out of the water, but because they were naked, they tried to cover their nakedness with their soft hands.
On observing this Krishna chided the gopis, addressing them thus: " My dear girls, you have committed a great offense by going naked in this holy river, and because of this the presiding deity of this holy river is displeased with you. Therefore, to please this deity touch your forehead with folded palms and ask for his forgiveness."
The gopis were all simple souls, and whatever Krishna said they took to be true. They followed his command, but in doing so exposed their nakedness in all its beauty to Krishna's gaze, which was exactly what Krishna desired.
All the unmarried gopis who prayed to Goddess Durga as their husband were thus satisfied. A woman cannot be naked before any male except her husband. The unmarried gopis desired Krishna as their husband, and he fulfilled their desire in this way.
The India art tradition visualizes the love adventures of gods and their female friends because it acknowledges that sex is the supreme fact in life, which provides the urge to procreate and maintain the species. It is concealed like lightning in a cloud, and in its glow is the birth of art, literature, and science. Sex union among lovers is the most exalted experience in life, and in mutual ecstasy the liberation of the soul from the narrow 'self' takes place.
This is the supreme experience of lovers as well as mystics. That is why in describing the union of God and soul, the extremely beautiful imagery of man and woman is employed by mystic saints and artists. Thus, we see that the classification of love into 'carnal' and 'spiritual' is arbitrary and unwarranted for the so-called 'spiritual' love has its roots in the so-called 'physical' love.
This art thus sanctifies human love and places it on par with divine love. In it, we find sacredness wedded to sensuous joy. It is not a spiritual art where spirit and body are regarded as two separate entities. It is not gloomy, cold, and forbidding, but is an art that is a happy blend of the sensuous and the spiritual.
The spirituality is not chilled by an asceticism which is disdainful of female loveliness and the delights of love. In fact, its spirituality is very much based on flesh and blood. It is an art that glorifies female beauty and revels in the loveliness of the female form.
The knitting together of form and color into a coordinated harmony is the hallmark of this art. Form and color are so blended that the effect is musical. To achieve such harmony, the artist uses both line and color in these paintings. The line he uses is the musical rhythmical line, which expresses both movement and mass, representing the flow and ardor of impassioned love.
The type of line which Blake admired, and regarded as the golden rule of art is this: " The more distinct, sharp, and wiry the bounding line, the more perfect the work of art, and the less keen and sharp, the greater is evidence of weak imagination." And what a rhythm these dancing lines create, a pure limpid harmony!
That is why these pictures are so comforting and so soothing like the concertos of Bach and Mozart. This line is effectively supplemented by the blues, yellows, greens, and reds, the pure colors of earth and minerals, which shine like jewels.
Let us take a moment to adore the beauty of Krishna and his Gopis, translated from the devotional, romantic verses of Bhaktas to the canvases of India art.
A unique gem in Indian art tradition and Pahari paintings, Kangra artworks are a celebration of Krishna’s connection with the cowherds of Brija. These folios, developed under the patronage of the royal dynasty of Kangra, nestled in the heart of the natural beauty of the hills, are rich with costumes, colors, and the sweetness of Krishna Lila.
The Kangra painting displayed here is a charming example of the art tradition, depicting a blue-skinned Krishna dressed in an eye-catching Pitamabara (yellow garment), under the shade of a tree, surrounded by Gopis who gaze at him attentively.
Carrying gifts and offerings for their dear Kanha, the Gopis remind one of the episodes where they ask and cajole Krishna to play his flute for them. Ardently, they seek a moment of joy in the company of Krishna and his flute, waiting for its tunes to remove all pains from their lives.
This classic example of Tanjore art presents a young, alluring Krishna, embellished with gold ornaments, a unique hairdo, and a floral garland standing in the company of his Gopis who play various musical instruments and bring gifts as the symbol of their love to Krishna.
In the regional poetry of Southern India (including the towns of Tamil Nadu and Tanjore), the romantic and devotional aspect of Krishna and Gopis’ relationship has been described in moving words. Based in the social and cultural background of the South, these poetries and literature surrounding Krishna have inspired art pieces like this Thanjavur painting, where the divine love of Krishna and Gopis is visualized in a golden language.
The love of Gopis for Krishna is often signified by tireless waiting. And sometimes, Krishna, becoming a mischievous lover takes some time before he appears in front of the cowherdesses. The eagerness of the Gopis, ready to meet and embrace their beloved Krishna is captured aesthetically in this Vrikshachari Pichwai, an art form that developed from Nathdwara and moved to different regions of India.
This painting, with a visible golden luster, is inspired by the gold-painted Pichwai paintings of Deccan, a lesser-known variety of the art. The Gopis hold different offerings for Krishna, in conversation with one another about when will he come to meet them, while Krishna hides in the forest.
Cows, mango trees laden with fruits, and birds in the backdrop present a visual narration of the season of Spring, Vasant, a time mentioned in Indian literature as a period of love and lovers, adding an element of poetic romance to the canvas.
The zenith of Gopi’s love can be seen in the descriptions of their affection that is not just limited to Krishna but becomes a devoted and blissful bond towards Sri Radha. The verses of devotees, who follow the path of Gopis in Krishna-bhakti, are filled with mentions of willingness to serve the lotus-feet of Radha Rani, as a way that leads to Krishna.
In this emotive Patachitra from Orissa, the feelings of Gopis are beautifully depicted. As Radha and Krishna engross themselves in a romantic embrace with one another, Gopis around them are mesmerized by both.
One sits down to cradle the foot of Radha in her hands, the other looks enchanted as she gazes at them and the third holding her pot on one side, looks adoringly at the couple. Complete self-surrender, to the extent that you love your beloved’s beloved, this is what makes the love of Gopis unparalleled in the Universe.
The love of Krishna and Gopis is a focus of rituals and festivals in many regions, with devotees recreating the Raas through dance and celebrations. The relationship between Krishna and Gopis is seen as sacred, whose visuals are worthy of worship and devotion. This Mata Ni Pachedi, an art belonging to Gujarat, practiced by the Chitara artists, depicts Krishna with Gopis.
The cattle folk, sea life, and lush green trees that surround them are symbols of auspiciousness, fertility, and fortune, integral to the culture of the local community that paints and uses these unfolding canvases. In the company of Krishna and Gopis, these motifs become even more sanctified, making such folk-art practices an example of how the divinity of love has traveled all over the country and inspires artists irrespective of region.
To experience the heavenliness of Krishna and Gopis and the ethereal Raas that they perform, one can look at several art traditions in India. A striking example comes as this beautiful Kerala mural, drawn based on the temple drawings found on the walls of Kerala’s sanctums. A profusion of colors, fine and flowing lines, stunning details, and natural surroundings give this painting a distinctive appeal.
Adorned with regional hair ornaments and attire and delineated in a style rooted in the culture and aesthetics of Kerala, this painting represents the fluidity of the Raas-Lila tradition, which has been translated into every artistic language of India, carrying a universal essence while blending with the local, folk elements of every region.
The magic created in the descriptions of Krishna and Gopis in Indian Bhakti literature centuries ago continues to charm hearts to date. Krishna-Lila as mentioned in poems by devotees, songs, and sections of the Puranas has inspired modern artists to paint contemporary canvases, with modern technique and material, while the essence of the theme remains timeless.
A great example is this acrylic on canvas by painter Ranjit Sarkar, presenting the Raas-Lila, where Krishna stands at the heart of the composition, with twirling Gopis surrounding him. The technique of the painting creates a dynamic and dramatic composition, instead of the still, stylized scenes of traditional Indian paintings.
However, the theme is identifiable by the onlooker as it is the same one sees in the medieval Pahari-Kangra paintings, folk art of Orissa, regal canvases of Tanjore paintings, and many more- the eternal love of Krishna and Gopis.
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