It is a standing figure of Lord Hanuman, His palms joined together in namaskaram. He stands on a richly engraved green and yellow pedestal. The complexion of His body is a bright, rugged tan. It befits the yogic musculature of His form, as revealed rather than concealed by the ornamental loincloth that reaches mid-thigh. A number of blue and green sashes descend laterally from His tall, erect form. Kusuma-kundalas and a multi-tiered crown completes the Lord’s shringar. Note how the face has been done with a rudimentary attention to detail, given that it is not an icon but a temple sculpture.
The most unique aspect of this composition is His tail. He is swishing it behind His back, high above His head, forming an aureole-like curve around His haloed head.
The almost monotone colour palette is dominated by an enchanting shade of Prussian purple colour. Along the frontal edges of this button-down jacket are thick panels of lush embroidery, best zoomed in on. The same has been done by hand by local artisans, for weeks, even months, at a stretch. Finally, the homegrown silk of the valley lends this number a glamorous sheen that no other fabric could give to your ensemble. This jacket would be an unusual pick for warm family gatherings over the winter.
The more said about the great Lord Shiva Mahadeva, lesser is the justice done to His divine stature. He is the indubitable Adinatha, the paramaguru of the Natha sampradaya responsible for the exposition and dissemination of classical yoga. It is said that the Devi Uma, His wife and daughter of the mountains, was the first yogashishya, to whom He imparted complete knowledge. In this portrayal of the Lord, He is captured in the midst of a great samadhi.
In this kalamkari composition, the beloved cowherd and protector has stopped under a tree and pulled out His flute. It is well into dusk - note the deep, solid red of the backdrop. One of His flock keeps Him company. The innocent pashu (animal) tongues His divine feet as the music envelops her. A bunch of parrots have gathered in the branches of the tree above, having been drawn in by the sound of His music. It is a luscious tree surrounded by flowering shrubs, as pretty as the tassels that dangle from His flute.
Kalamkari paintings are fine examples of pen-based workmanship, which has been perfected in Andhra Pradesh over centuries now. The pen in question is a rudimentary one fashioned from locally available twigs, which explains the thick curves that define this composition. The devotional theme and limited colour palette (ochre and sindoori pigments) are characteristic of this style of Indian folk art.
This is a Baluchari for the freshest bride of the season. A traditional saree dyed a powerful, statement-making shade of red, it has all the hallmarks of authentic make. At the same time this number would make you the most glamorous one in any party or wedding you go to. This Baluchari is just the pick for the contemporary traditional woman. The pure silk weave explains the sumptuousness of this variety of the Indian saree.
Because the Baluchari is the traditional wedding saree of the Bengali people, the colour is a deep rich red superimposed with gold. The superbly precise motifs on the endpiece depict scenes from the Ramayana, as visual folklore and episodes from the itihasas are the norm with these sarees. Zoom in on the plethora of gold-thread figures arranged in delicately woven panels, in order to appreciate the high-precision handiwork. The same is complemented by the luxuriant solid gold booties across the field of this saree.
The divine couple of love are represented in their utmost aesthetic form. Here Shri Radha and krishna are showering the superior joy of their darshans. As being the personality of Godhead they have a transcendental form which has been described here. Moreover there is a clean and clear finishing on one of the finest marble figures.
The 'Tribhanga-Lalit' Mudra (Tribend posture) of Shri Krishna is purely depicted in this deity and along with the lotus-eyed treasure of beauty, Shrimati Radharani posing the Abhaya Mudra from her right hand and the left hand is symbolizing the holding of a flower.
The colour combination used here is a highlight as one gets to know the personality of the Lordships, which is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures that Shrimati Radharani has a fair complexion where Lord Shri Krishna has a darker one. So this an ideal pair of Supreme Lovers for a devotee who wants to serve the lord with all the pleasures.
Here as an add on advantage, one set of the ravishing Shringar from bottom to top will also be provided without any extra charges and that's amazing. Although the cute couple is astonishing and attractive all over.
Like most Buddhist devis, She has the tall, slender form of the Himalayan ascetic. Her silken skirts drop to Her feet, barely revealing a long leg; while Her torso is strategically concealed by tigerskin and a hand raised in blessing. Coiled amidst Her eight arms is a sea of sashes floating about Her like the gorgeous black hair across Her shoulders. The quintessentially Buddhist five-spired crown and gold kundalas frame Her lovely, youthful face. It bears an expression of maternal comfort and bliss.
Indeed She is the Devi of compassion and mercy. In one of Her anterior hands She holds the mythical healing potion of Tibetan medical folklore. Generously She dispenses of it upon this loka. Surrounded by flowers (from Her pedestal to Her aureole) and offerings (in the foreground), the pristine stupa in the background completes the composition.
Between those two phases of the same Vishnu incarnation lies a long phase of transition. The work of art you see on this page seeks to capture the Lord in the midst of that metamorphosis. He spent those years traversing the subcontinent, leading the life of an austere sadhu. He lived in the wilderness and amongst people but not with them; He stopped on His travels, but did not stay anywhere; and in keeping with the precepts of hathayoga, He mortified the flesh (tapah) by seeking as little extrinsic nourishment (in terms of food, etc) as scarcely kept His boat floating.
Which explains the highly pronounced bone structure. The sharp lines where the flesh sinks into the abdominal socket and stretches taught over the girdle. The super-slender limbs gathered in the perfect padmasana. Note the solid halo framing the face with the sunken, half-shut eyes; and the pedestal carved with the images of homage-paying ascetics.
The son of Shiva (note the trishool tattooed at the root of His trunk) is clad in a marigold-coloured dhoti. A bunch of gold studded with rubies and emeralds betray His princely stature. A garland of pink and white flowers rests on His adorably chubby torso, clearly an offering of His numerous devotees. He is ekdanta (single-tusked), because He had to scribe the Mahabharata at the command of Vyasa.
The halo behind His head resembles the gentle glow of the sun setting over the tropics. The inky purple background is reminiscent of the skies that turn this colour once the cows have been home for a while. The Lord is seated on velvet-cushioned asana, the greens and golds of which match the sumptuous colours of His silks.
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