Page 173 - Eye of the beholder

SIVA IN ASSEMBLY WITH HIS CONSORT
AND OTHER GODS MEWAR OR OR JODHPUR 18TH CENTURY
Siva is one among the the the triumvirate triumvirate in in the the the Hindu religious pantheon The triumvirate triumvirate constitutes of three gods who are responsible for for the creation namely Brahma Vishnu for for preservation and Siva Siva for the the the the destruction as as well as as the the the the creation of the the the the world Siva's role is to destroy the the the the universe in in in order to to re-create it it According to to Hindu belief this destruction is is not arbitrary but constructive and and and hence is is therefore seen as the the source of both good and and and evil and and and is is regarded as the the one one who combines many contradictory elements Siva is one one of the the most interesting and important characters in in the the Hindu pantheon Gullible but but wise grave but but frivolous ascetic yet a a a a householder hermit but intoxicated on drugs his character offers so much to to explore for both seekers seekers of of spirituality as as well as as seekers seekers of of aesthetics He is known to have untamed passion which leads him to act with extreme behaviour Sometimes he is an ascetic abstaining from all worldly pleasures and at at at other times a a a a a a a a a hedonist It is is Siva's relationship with Parvati which establishes equilibrium Their union allows him to be an an ascetic and a a a a a a lover but within the bounds of marriage The concept of Siva goes back to pre-Vedic period In Rajasthan the various ruling feudal clans at different times were were Saivites Most notably the rulers of Mewar were were ardent devotees of of Eklingji a a a a a form of of Siva and ruled the kingdom by proxy as his servants The miniature painting has striking stylistic characteristic of Mewar but much diluted in in in in in artistic strength because of its late production in in in the eighteenth century Mewar painting had reached its acme in the late 16th and 17th century Hence it it evidences a a a a a a a stylized formalism particularly in in in in in the the the hills delineated in in in in in the the the background and at at the the the sides bearing only a a a a a a a dark outline to trace its characteristic appearance The decorative foliage of the trees appears spirited in their rendering a a a a a a a a feature which typically defines as Mewar In addition the the horizontal format aligns it it to Mewar and it it was was later on in the 18th century that a a a a a a a a a a a vertical format was was adopted consequent to the Mughal influence filtering in in in 167