2-748-633 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Krishna Returns with the Cowherds to Braj, from a Bhagavata Purana, c. 1830. This miniature summarizes some of Krishna's many exploits with the cowherds. The later Pahari artists from the courts and small kingdoms in the western Himalayan foothills often use this device of combining many sequential events within one composition. In the background, the figure of the Hindu god Brahma, riding on his goose and holding the attributes of a Hindu priest (sacred texts, prayer beads, and water pot), references the various competitions in which he tried to engage Krishna at the cowherds expense. In the upper right is Aghasura, the giant snake demon who opened his mouth so that the cowherds entered, thinking it a cave; Krishna also went in and, swelling instead, burst the demon, so they could all escape through the top of his head. The two scenes in the foreground, also traditional subjects, are contrastingly peaceful, quotidian and bucolic, rather than heroic. Although the attribution to Hindur—a small state aligned with Kangra—is possible, the series more closely resembles works done in Garhwal, visually. Heavy striations across layers of rippling hills capped with small, round bushes are a typical feature of Garhwal landscapes, and flowering trees along with bare branches protruding from trees or bushes also characterize the Garhwal style. Finally, figures drawn with heavy outlines are seen in many paintings from Garhwal, as they are in this series.