Page 176 - Eye of the beholder

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On an open terrace surrounded by a marble parapet, with hills and thick forest in the background, Siva is seated in a casual posture with legs crossed, on a tiger skin, with a benevolent rather than a furious Ganga flowing out of his matted jata. The tiger in one of its paw holds the morchal used particularly for the royalty. His left hand rests on the ground and the right hand across his body. His head is inclined to the left with large lotus shaped meditative eyes that are lost to this world. His third eye is prominent on the forehead. Body of Siva is ash grey, his matted hair painted in dark brown and a halo behind him within which his face is framed. He is resting on a huge striped bolster in pink and yellow decorated with white dots.
The ubiquitous snake winds around his neck and body forming a ‘U’ loop. He wears jewellery constituting of pearls with pendants attached to it. His arms and wrist are adorned with simple gold studded jewellery. Around his loin is a tiger’s skin. To his left is the retinue of women with Parvati distinctly segregated from the rest, seated on a carpet of decoratively designed lotus leaves. She is delineated with sharp facial features. The large lotus shaped eyes, sharp nose, well defined lips, a high forehead and thick luxurious hair, the glimpse of which can be obtained from the curly strands caressing her cheeks. She wears a yellow orange ghagra and a pink cotton odhini with a golden yellow border. Interestingly she has a halo around her. She holds a tray in her hand containing little cups, which perhaps holds the madira or the intoxicant which Siva loves to consume. The divine couple is entertained by the band of women musicians, whose facial features resonate with that of Parvati. One of them holds a veena, the middle one is playing on the tablas and the third has an ektara. Their seated positions are according to the musical instrument they play upon.
Various household vessels and containers are littered in the foreground where the two vahanas of Siva and Durga are placed namely Nandi the bull and the tiger of Devi the fierce aspect of Parvati. The former is rendered in a playful attitude and appears charming as he adoringly looks up to his lord. Nandi is decorated with bells around his neck and a floral garland that goes over the head and a textile printed spread in orange with a yellow border covers his hump and the back. While the ferociousness of the tiger is shown by the tongue menacingly out and is similarly draped with a printed textile on its back.