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Nathdwara (Rajasthan)
Cotton, painted on pigments
An attractive small Pichhwai depicting eight white cows grouped in a meadow with a lotus and fish filled stream in the foreground. The cows are bedecked and have henna on their horns and hooves. Large handprints painted in saffron henna cover bodies. A floral border surrounds the panel. This pichhwai would have either accompanied a larger pichhwai in a prominent shrine or constituted part of a small domestic shrine.
Gopashtami is a festival that commemorates Krishna’s elevation from a young herder of calves to full cowherd. Krishna grows into the perfect cowherd, the one all the cows heed, answering to the golden strains of his flute. At Nathdwara the cows, decked in their finest, are brought into the haveli. There is a playful spirit about this festival that is well expressed in this pichhwai. The cows, gentle creatures with limpid eyes and expressive ears, are constant reminders of Vraja and Krishna’s childhood occupation as cowherd.
Size (cms): 75(H) x 124(W)
Size (inches): 29.5(H) x 49(W)
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Nathdwara (Rajasthan)
Cotton, painted on pigments
A scarce small Pichhwai celebrating Sapta Swarupa Annakutotsava, with the central figure of Srinathji accompanied by his seven forms (Sapta Swarupa) and attended by two goswamis. Srinathji and the sath swarupa, are all richly adorned and bejewelled and they stand upon an elevated altar in front of a saffron covered thada vastra. A richly embroidered tree-of-life hanging encrusted with jewels and pearls is placed behind the shrine.
A veritable feast of chhappan bhoga (fifty-six offerings) in the form of large mounds of rice and curd, festooned with pink sweet meats are laid out in front of Srinathji. These offering commemorate the grand festival of Annakuta, the largest yearly festival celebrated at Nathdwara, which is held the day after Diwali. The festival is celebrated in recognition of an episode in the life of Krishna when he persuaded the villagers of Vraj to present their harvest offerings to the spirit of Mount Govardhana, instead of Indra. The mountains of rice symbolically represent Mount Govardhana which are topped by a sweet cake called gunja representing the head of Vishnu flanked by four more signifying the four ayudhyas or weapons of Vishnu.
The pichhwai is bordered by bands depicting Srinatji in twenty-four different Darshan attires on its sides and top and a row of nandis (cows) above a lotus filled lake below.
Size (cms): 81(H) x 59(W)
Size (inches): 32(H) x 23(W)
