This Batik Painting on Cotton depicting Ganga Ghat tastefully depicts the site in its spiritual and aesthetic glory. Like the Goddess it is personified with, the Ganges River is a symbol of life, purity, and power since time immemorial. it is often depicted in art as a serene yet impactful scene, showing how the religious live up to and with the holiness of the river. In this painting, the palette used involves shades of red, purple, and yellow in signature Batik finish renders the image to look like it’s in the evening. But a closer look on the painting shows the Ghat bustling with activities as seen on the people on boats, taking a dip, or simply staying under parasols on the steps, which is a good depiction of the Ganga Ghat and the Ganges being part of the Hindu life no matter the time of day.
Ganga Ghat is often the subject of both religious and societal art in India and beyond. It will always be a focus of many art forms for as long as there is birth, living, and death, the very circle witnessed by the river itself. Exotic India has this painting and hundreds of others curated for anyone who wishes to have a piece of the culture in art. The Gange is perhaps the holiest witness to the life going on beyond its banks, and for as long as people live, it will remain a dear place of worship, life, and farewell for those who believe.
The rich vermillion colour is the most statement-making aspect of this saree. It is the colour of prosperity and fecundity, a distinctly bridal hue, which makes it a great one to add to your trousseau for those post-wedding family meetings. Note the miniscule booties of solid gold hue against the foundation colour. The thick gold-woven border goes well with the panel of solid gold layered on the end piece.
Note the hints of pastel blue, purple, and red superimposed on the same. Team this with your favourite pieces from your newest batch of gold jewellery, and you would be set to make a memorable impression.
Lord Vishnu is a preserver of the world. It is the energy of Lord Vishnu that regulates and maintains the cosmic order. He incarnates to benefit humanity and to get rid of evil as he is ordained with the responsibility of maintenance and he gets the support from his eternal consort Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and fortune. Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi are worshipped together so that devotees can seek their blessings for a prosperous and healthy life. Gradually the virtues and attributes of the deities start manifesting in their devotees.
Made from the crushed petals of the hibiscus flowers, the organic dye has a rich red colour and is symbolic of youth and fecundity. There is a particular way of applying it - along the edges, a solid circle at the centre, at the tips of the digits - as could be gleaned from the gesture of the subject.
She has chosen a green bootidar saree for the occasion, teamed with a pink low-cut blouse. Languidly she traces her fingers dipped in alta along her soles, her minimal gold ornaments motioning in accordance with her gently tilting head. A soft lilac cushion lies next to her. Within moments she is going to finish off the alta and, whilst putting her ample tresses in a bun, wait for it to dry.
The lehenga skirt comes in a paler orange colour. It features a diamond pattern in alternating shades and tints of the same colour, superimposed rosebush motifs and vines. It is a voluminous number, one that will sway around you as you walk, turning heads from every direction. A long, luscious dupatta completes the ensemble. Its chiffon make couples well with the silken fabric of the rest of the dress, not to mention the new-age motifs of the embroidery thereon.
Zoom in on every aspect of the Deviroopa to take in the beauty of Her iconography. From the minute shringar of Her fingers to the layered kamarband that holds Her dhoti in place; from the gorgeous karna-kundalas that flank Her delicate neck to the tall bejewelled crown that towers over Her curly-haired head. Her face is as fresh and expressive as the two pink lotuses She holds up in Her posterior hands, an integral element of Her iconography.
So is the elephant, to the Devi Gajalakshmi. A richly adorned elephant translates to abundance and prosperity, which makes it the ideal companion to Devi Lakshmi. Its soft slate-coloured body bears a world of silks and ornaments, which are a match to His Devi’s shringar. From the large halo that forms an aureole behind Her figure to the temple-carving motifs in the background and border, this composition is a fine example of the kalamkari painting tradition.
The signature jute weave on the endpiece is a kind of fashion homage to the largest produce of the region. Zoom in on the cream-coloured panel, sandwiched by a panel of red interwoven with the foundation grey of the saree. The motis are minimalistic, done in basic unassuming pastels such as red and white. This is a great saree to wear to a pooja or a havana. Team it with some distinctive ethnic jewellery to make the most of its appeal.
Her iconography is unmistakable. Chaturbhujadhari (four-armed), with the palms of the anterior hands turned outward in blessing. Zoom in on the same to take in the beauty of the vivid vermillion-coloured mehendi tattooed against her milk-white skin. Matching red mehendi is to be found on the precisely sculpted toes of Her delicate feet. In each of Her posterior hands She holds a pink, green-stemmed lotus, picked fresh off the waters.
The gorgeous gold shringar on Her person fits Her divine queen status - streams of gold down Her torso, cinching Her waist, tinkling at Her wrists and ankles. As She stands on a simple pedestal carpeted with the soft green of a lotuspad, She looks straight ahead of Her, Her large eyes brimming with wisdom and maternal goodwill. A bejewelled gold crown on Her black hair and a halo of lotus petals complete the picture of the divine.
Zoom in on the gorgeous zariwork that peters down the bust. Gleaming sequins arranged in a pattern of florals and vines that make for an ultra-feminine look. The motifs along the ample hemline are unusual - slender temple-pillars and lamps, a statement of light and spiritual aesthetics. A delicate chiffon dupatta completes this three-piece Indian suit, which adds a bit of the fashionable to the traditional. Team this with your mother’s choicest gold and jewel hand-me-downs.
Seated under a stylized leaf aureoled Banyan tree with monkeys hopping and eating fruits and peacocks screaming melodiously at the top, Lord Dakshinamurthy settles on a heighted uniquely carved pedestal in lalitasana with right leg on the demon Apasmara as a mark of suppressing ignorance from the world.
Dakshinamurthy is an aspect of Lord Shiva as a guru or a teacher of all types of knowledge, who faces south (dakshina) at the time of teaching the ganas. Seated at his secluded spot on the Himalayas under a Banyan tree, surrounded by ganas all around and Nandi (his vahana) sits near his legs. This Chaturbhuja holds a damru with a snake coiled around and a flame in his upper hands, while the front right hand in a gesture of gyan mudra symbolizing knowledge and wisdom holds a rosary and left carries scriptures for scriptural knowledge.
He wears a rudraksha mala on his kantha along with other precious jewels adorning his body with a hole extending from one ear to the other, as he teaches through the subtlest form of speech- para vak, i.e. beyond the range of physical ear. His luxuriant hair of matted locks is ornamented with wild flowers and a snake with the mass of the jatas arranged in conical shape to resemble a crown.
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist