Two women perform Shiva-puja (worship of the Hindu god Shiva) at a Shiva Linga - Page from an illustrated Ragamala manuscript, Pahari Style Early 18th Century
Two women perform Shiva-puja (worship of the Hindu god Shiva) at a linga-yoni which stands atop an elaborate, baluster-shaped pedestal. One woman waves a chauri; the other holds her hands in anjali mudra. Between them, against the yellow background, are many implements of worship, including a censer, vessels and conch shells. A band of blue sky appears above.
Medium: Opaque watercolor and silver on paper
Place: Bahu-Jammu, Punjab Hills, Northern India
Source: Museum of Fine Arts Boston (mfa.org)
Gods Paying Homage to Shiva and Krishna - Nepal 19th Century
The white-skinned Hindu god Shiva sits in his usual attire on his bull Nandi, accompanied by two goddesses -- one with red skin, the other with green skin -- both seated on lions. He is greeted by his sons, the elephant-headed Ganesh on the left and the red-skinned Skanda on the right. They are on the stylized rocks of Mt. Kailasa, and the river Ganga pours from Shiva's head and down the mountain. Numerous small figures of gods and ascetics appear on the rocks below, and larger figures of an ascetic, Brahma, and Sarasvati (?) appear on the green hills above.
Under another tree to the right, a large figure of blue-skinned Krishna stands playing his flute. Part of this figure is now lost, but presumably the painting originally extended for at least another ten inches to include the rest of Krishna's retinue. Two female figures attend Krishna at the left and scenes from Krishna's infancy appear below a body of water that may represent the Jamuna river. Numerous figures of seated ascetics and kings appear in the hills above.
In the lower register, against a red ground, two male and five female donor figures sit at either side of an altar with a priest and all the implements of puja. To the left stands an elephant. To the right, the male donors and priest are repeated, presumably to pay equal homage to Krishna as to Shiva.
Medium: Watercolor and gold on cotton
Source: Museum of Fine Arts Boston (mfa.org)
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