Page 130 - Eye of the beholder

Krishna had a a a a a a a a a a a special appeal for people of of India particularly in the hill areas of of Western Himalayas Krishna was the the cowherd closer to the the simple farmers foresters and herdsmen and and they regarded him as as one of their own kind Mothers adored Krishna as as a a a a a a a a a naughty and and playful child Young boys adored him as a a a a a a a young cowherd lad who played among the cow cow pens tended calves and and and cows and and and wove wreaths of leaves and and and wild flowers in the forest The mature and and grown up worshipped him as an an an ideal lover and and God The divine youthful Krishna led a a a a a a a a glorious Arcadian life in the forest and legend surround him with all that was beautiful: shady bowers grassy carpets murmuring streams exquisite gardens and beautiful women Krishna and and and Radha are not just symbols of of God and and and his creation of of Purusha and and and Prakriti they are also the the symbols of man man and and woman and and Krishna-Leela is is their eternal love play The enchanting stories of of of Krishna and and the the gopis are the the echoes of of of yearnings of of of young men and and women who pass through similar experiences Bhakti movement popularized the cult of Krishna and and Radha through poetry and and literature in which the the development of of Ashtanayikas/Nayakas or the the eight types of of heroines and heroes conflated with Krishna and Radha in in them suffering the the pangs of separation from lover/ husband according to their various emotional states states These varied states states were of rejection union anticipation etc THEMES IN IN RAJPUT MINIATURES
The thematic content particularly of miniatures belonging to Rajput tradition was diverse in in in nature comprising of subject matter that was both religious religious and secular Of the the religious religious themes the the most important were illustrations from the the Ramayana and Mahabharata Works such as Gita Govinda and Bhāgavata Purana illustrated the Krishna cult with poetry by Chaitanya Surdas Kabir Tulsi Das Das Keshav Das Das and and Biharilal The central theme of love between Radha and and Krishna was profusely illustrated in a a a a a a a a a a a a variety of of of ways evident from the illustration of of of Ragamala [Garland of musical modes] Baramasa [twelve months] and the Nayak-Nayikabheda Sanskrit classics as Kadambari by by Bhanabhatta and Naisadhacharita by by Sriharsha which deals with the story of Nala-Damayanti Kalidasa’s Meghdoot among others were all integral to Indian miniatures Folk lore and and legends love stories as Dhola Maru Shiri Farhad Laila Majnu Sohni Mahinwal and and Pancatanra stories were equally popular Literary texts as as Gita Govinda by Jayadeva Rasikapriya by by Keshav Das Baramasa by by Bhanudatta illustrations of musical modes or Ragamala i i i i e e e moods associated with different musical ragas poetry of Kabir Das Das Sur Sur Das’s ‘Sur Sagar’ Biharilal’s ‘Sat Sai’ provided the the inspiration for differing love states through the the protagonist Krishna and Radha To these themes were added court scenes and royal portraits a a a a a a a fashion set by the the the Mughals The custom of employing court artists and maintaining ateliers or karkhanas however small became a a a a a a a matter of of prestige among the feudal lords of of late Mughal times The use of visual metaphors in in Indian art was especially prevalent in in images associated with Vaishnava Bhakti focusing on the Hindu avatars of Krishna and Rama that was popular in in in Northern India during the the the 14th–19th centuries Numerous poems and prose expressed the the the core belief of the Bhakti movement that a a a a a a devotee's loving adoration for one's personal deity was a a a a a a metaphor for the ultimate union with a a a a a a transcendent god 124