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Editorial A Maharana and His Retinue Hunting Boar.
Editorial Maharana Amar Singh II or Sangram Singh Hunting Wild Boar.
Editorial Maharana Amar Singh II Is Shown Two Silver Elephants.
Editorial Maharana Jagat Singh Hawks for Cranes.
Editorial Maharaja Fateh Singh Hunting Female Bears.
Editorial Maharana Amar Singh II with Ladies of the Zenana outside the Picture Hall at Rajnagar.
Editorial Two birds, sitting on a mountain, reading a sacred text. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1700 - 1799. Place: Udaipur. Measurements: h 30 cm ? w 42.5 cm; h 112 mm ? w 277 mm; h 148 mm ? w 311 mm.
Editorial Two birds, sitting on a mountain, reading a sacred text. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1700 - 1799. Place: Udaipur. Measurements: h 30 cm ? w 42.5 cm; h 112 mm ? w 277 mm; h 148 mm ? w 311 mm.
Editorial At the top centre, the three spend the night in the forest. Sītā and Rāma lie on one mat, his sword and bow beside him, while Lak?ma?a seated on his mat reproves Rāma for giving way to grief. At the bottom, they then proceed to the hermitage of...
Editorial Ravana chances upon Vedavati, a beautiful ascetic living in the forest. Ravana, lusting for her, grabs her by the hair. Having been defiled by the touch of a rakshasa (demon), she is condemned to be reborn as Sita. She foretells that she will bring abo...
Editorial Rama tells the story of Ila. Kardama was hunting in the same forest where Siva was entertaining Parvati by transferring all things male into female. Kaidama was also transformed and when he approached Siva he said he would grant him anything but the tr...
Editorial The Gods, having lauded Rama for restoring harmony to his kingdom, request him to visit the sage Agastya's hermitage with them. Rama proceeds through a forest where birds and beasts abound. Ramayana. Udaipur, 1720. Source: Add. 15297(2), f.93. Language...
Editorial After passing through a beautiful forested region, Rama visits the sage Agastya who lives in the Dandaka desert, the dwelling place of ascetics known as Janasthana. The sage Agastya receives Rama and requests him to spend a night at his hermitage. Rama...
Editorial Prior to taking up their abode in the hut, oblations have to be made to the presiding deities. Lak?ma?a hunts deer on the right, and returns to the hut to cook it; Rāma offers part of it as a sacrifice. The two brothers then eat, while Sītā wave...
Editorial Ram with golden collar and decorated ends of his horns. Constellation Aries. Draughtsman: anonymous. Dating: 1700 - 1799. Place: Udaipur. Measurements: h 30 cm ? w 42.5 cm; h 197 mm ? w 107 mm.
Editorial Maharana Sangram Singh Hunting Wild Boar.
Editorial Maharaja Fateh Singh Hunting Female Bears.
Editorial Maharana Amar Singh II with Ladies of the Zenana outside the Picture Hall at Rajnagar.
Editorial A Maharana and His Retinue Hunting Boar.
Editorial Maharana Amar Singh II or Sangram Singh Hunting Wild Boar.
Editorial Maharana Amar Singh II Is Shown Two Silver Elephants.
Editorial Maharana Jagat Singh Hawks for Cranes.
Editorial Sukesha's sons practice penance. The three sons of Sukesha are shown on the left with an ascetic. Garbed as ascetics they are then shown below paying obeisance to Brahma and gaining favourable boons from him. Brahma is seated on a lotus having descende...
Editorial The princes in their chariot drive through the main street at Ayodhyā, wondering at the change in the city since they left it, and then enter the palace, with questioning gestures. In an upper room, a Brahmin and three ministers converse. Ramayana. Ud...
Editorial Hanumān tells Rāma to climb onto his back to attack Rāva?a, like Vi??u on his eagle mount Garu?a. The furious Rāma advances into battle on Hanumān’s back and one of his arrows pierces Rāva?a’s crown, which falls to the ground. Rāva...
Editorial Kumbhakar?a has woken up and is still seated picking at a bone, while he is offered a jar of drink. Rāva?a's ministers, their chief Yūpāk?a to the fore, tell him they have woken him up since his brother needs him to defeat Rāma and his monkey...
Editorial Rama returns to Ayodhya and wishes to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice. Bharata dissuades him from doing so. Ramayana. Udaipur, 1653. Source: Add. 15297(2), f.98. Language: Sanskrit.
Editorial As Sugrīva is still speaking of his earlier adventures to the two brothers, the monkeys sent out to the eastern, northern and western quarters return and report that their quest was in vain, there had been no sign of Sītā. Ramayana. Udaipur, c.1653....
Editorial Indrajit advances in his chariot having created an illusory Sītā, whom he holds by the single long tress of her hair. He then cuts off her head and her body falls to the ground. Hanumān and the other monkeys, here Sugrīva and A?gada, are totally ...
Editorial At the top in the centre, Bharata and ?atrughna throw themselves at the feet of Rāma, who embraces his younger brothers and smells their heads. Rāma takes them on his lap as he asks after their welfare and that of their father, and how Bharata is go...
Editorial Sugrīva and his monkeys, seen at the top on the left, continue to tell Rāma and Lak?ma?a the story of Bāli and Dundubhi. Bāli was so powerful that he was able to tear the demon limb from limb and then hurl the carcass into the air. Unfortunatel...
Editorial As yet more of the demons’ champions have been slain by the monkey heroes, Indrajit is sent out once more by Rāva?a to do battle. He advances in his chariot invisibly, while the monkeys wield rocks and trees in vain, and Rāma and Lak?ma?a pre...
Editorial Vasi??ha has told Sumantra to tell the king that all is ready, and he informs Da?aratha of this. He is told by Kaikeyī, with Da?aratha's silent assent, to fetch Rāma. Outside the palace entrance on the right, citizens and other noteworthy men h...
Editorial Hanumān has flown to the Himalaya mountains, full of the holy retreats of the ascetics and the abode of the gods, its peaks covered in plants and streams rushing down them to the river at their feet. The magical herbs, knowing that Hanumān has come t...
Editorial The companions have reached the river Ganges and Guha, the Nisada chief, has come to greet them along with some of his people from their nearby town. Rama asks him to provide a boat so that they can cross the river. He tells Sumantra to take the chario...
Editorial The top left section shows Ravana and the demons roaming the earth. In the top right, they meet King Maratha and the gods performing a sacrifice. The gods assume the form of animals out of fear of Ravana. King Maratha and Samvarta are seen conversing i...
Editorial Two demon brothers 'sprang up'. Praheti practiced asceticism and is shown in ascetic garb seated next to a hut in the right background of the picture. Heti is shown in the right foreground seeking a wife, and then with his wife, Bhaya, sister of Kala, ...
Editorial Angered by the Ocean’s non-cooperation, Rāma attacked it with all the weapons at his command and the boiling sea eventually spewed up the appalled Ocean god in person, who advised him that he could not part the waves for him but that he should tell ...
Editorial In a series of three compartments on the right, Rāma is seen conversing with his brothers, Vibhī?a?a and a sage (presumably Vasi??ha but this is premature as they would have to have reached Ayodhyā first), with the monkeys still in human gui...
Editorial Vasi??ha returns to the palace and tells Da?aratha that all is prepared for the ceremony. Da?aratha withdraws to an inner chamber of the palace. Above, Kaikeyī’s servant Mantharā looks out of an upper window and observes the excitement – sh...
Editorial Hanumān dives into the mouth of the demoness Si?hikā, who has risen from the bottom of the ocean seeking her lunch, and comes out again bearing her entrails. He then will resume his flight to land on the golden island of La?kā. Ramayana. Udaipur...
Editorial Rāma and Laksma?a, dressed as before but armed with sword, bow and arrows, accompanied by Sītā, have walked humbly through the streets thronged with grieving people to their father’s palace. Sumantra announces them to the enthroned Da?aratha an...
Editorial On his tour of the kingdom Visvamitra discovers the hermitage of the sage Vasishta. Ramayana, Bala Kanda. Udaipur, 1712. Source: Add. 15295, f.145. Language: Sanskrit.
Editorial The angry Lak?ma?a has reached the gate of Ki?kindhā, where he is welcomed by A?gada, Bāli’s son, and other monkeys. Inside the palace, the crowned Sugrīva, seated with the wise Tārā on a couch, is slowly brought round from his slothful ...
Editorial On the journey back, Rāma points out to Sītā all the places associated with the search for her, and before that with their life together in the forest. The Pu?paka chariot flies first over the bridge built across the sea by the monkeys and arrives...
Editorial Rāva?a now prepares himself for a final great effort. According to Rajput traditions, having taken a bath within his qanāts, he emerges clad in golden armour, strewn with flowers and mounts his battle chariot drawn by eight white horses and covered...
Editorial From a position high in a Shingshapa tree, Hanuman observes Sita attended by a band of female titans; Ravana arrives with female attendants and begs Sita to marry him. Gouache with gold; borders of red and yellow, or red and gold with, in most cases, c...
Editorial In the throne room at Nandigrāma, Bharata places on the throne Rāma’s sandals and with the assembled priests and ministers installs them as the ruler of Ayodhyā. They are henceforth treated like Rāma himself. The two princes in their bark clothes...
Editorial A?gada is captured by the titans and brought before Rāva?a; he delivers Rāma’s message about the demon king’s inevitable defeat and his offer of single combat. Enraged, Rāva?a orders that he be put to death, but A?gada breaks free (top r...
Editorial Four further spies are sent out from the city by Rāva?a, but again they are recognised and set upon by the monkeys. They return crestfallen to La?kā. Rāma and his allies are depicted beneath the Suvela mountain on the left. Ramayana. Udaipur, c....
Editorial The gods and demons are locked in battle. Sumāli the rāk?asa, Rāva?a’s maternal grandfather, wishing to avenge his ignominious defeat earlier by Vi??u and the gods (see folio 17r), starts creating havoc amongst the ranks of the gods. Vasu,...
Editorial Ravana is shown on his Pushpaka chariot on the left, descending with his demons to the world of Yama. Narada the sage also descends into the nether regions to witness the imminent struggle. The foreground depicts scenes of the dead being led away by Ya...
Editorial Rāva?a, in his palace, is brought his bow, and sets out once more in his chariot, accompanied by his army. An encounter with a lady riding a camel is perhaps one of the ill-omens mentioned on his first setting out for battle. Ramayana. Udaipur, c.16...
Editorial Bharata, ?atrughna and their uncle, along with retainers and two led riding horses, with loaded elephants beyond the horizon line, arrive at the palace of the king of Kekaya, Bharata’s maternal grandfather, who awaits them looking out of an upper wi...
Editorial Ravana is shown seated on his throne in the palace in Lanka, surrounded by attendants. His sister, Surpanakha, falls at his feet and bemoans the fact that her husband was killed by Ravana in combat, leaving her widowed. Ramayana. Udaipur, 1653. . So...
Editorial Rāva?a, in the Pu?paka chariot, and the rāk?asas accompanying him, come across a beautiful palace, and Prahasta is sent to enquire who lives there. Prahasta encounters a fearsome, dark doorkeeper enveloped in flames, and is then shown departing...
Editorial Rāma and Lak?ma?a are reunited with Bharata and ?atrughna, who have kept Rāma’s kingdom for him during the fourteen years of exile. The four brothers bathe, shave and dress themselves in a series of twelve compartments, ready for Rāma’s cor...
Editorial At the top centre, the three spend the night in the forest. Sītā and Rāma lie on one mat, his sword and bow beside him, while Lak?ma?a seated on his mat reproves Rāma for giving way to grief. At the bottom, they then proceed to the hermitage of...
Editorial Sugrīva and his allies have come to Bāli’s palace at Ki?kindhā. Sugrīva roars his challenge to such effect that the birds fall out of the sky in fright. Bāli, his queen Tārā and his ministers have emerged on hearing the uproar. The wise quee...
Editorial Sumantra arrives in a chariot at Rāma's palace, finds him seated on a couch, now dressed in yellow dhotī and uttarīya rather than his earlier contemporary costume, and with Sītā waving a scarf over him. His brow is anointed with red sandalwood pas...
Editorial Rāma, seated with Sītā, pulling her veil over her face, and with the monkeys all around, accepts Vibhī?a?a's homage but refuses to bathe or change his ascetic’s dress until he has returned to Ayodhyā and relieved Bharata from his anxiety. He...
Editorial Hanumān next slays Rāva?a’s five generals and scatters their armies. Rāva?a then sends out his son Ak?a, a youthful yet mighty warrior. Hanumān is impressed by the youthful prince’s martial powers but finally kills him by leaping into the...
Editorial Rāma accepts his banishment with perfect equanimity, and he and Lak?ma?a take leave of Kaikeyī and Da?aratha, who with head downcast and averted gaze cannot bring himself to look at his son. He and Lak?ma?a leave Kaikeyī’s palace and go t...
Editorial Hanuman's childhood. The top left shows Hanuman leaping towards the sun having perceived it as a fruit. Hanuman's father, Vayu, follows him on a deer, fearful his son will be burnt by the sun's rays. Rahu, shown as a disembodied head, is pleading with ...
Editorial Rāva?a is overwhelmed by grief (all his heads in profile) on hearing of his last remaining son's death. Then furious with rage, he rushes with his upraised sword at Sītā, who calmly awaits her fate seated in her grove, but he is restrained by his ...
Editorial Three chariots convey the king, his son and the two young princes through a bazaar. The fronts of the far shops are visible with merchants selling cloth, and the backs of the ones below. In his palace on the right, the elderly king, using his sword as ...
Editorial Ravana is shown on his horse surrounded by attendants and accompanied by huntsmen, on the right. The sage Maya, his daughter and other children are seated on a mat in front of their hut. Maya is shown in conversation with Ravana. Ravana is then depicte...
Editorial Three of Rāva?a’s chief generals (Dhūmrāk?a, Akampana, Vajrada???ra) having already been slain in combat in the field, Prahasta, the chief of Rāva?a’s army, sets out in his chariot surrounded by his army (‘like a herd of elephants...
Editorial Rāma and Lak?ma?a are seated on a lion skin outside a cave on Mount Prasrava?a, having been told by Hanumān of his adventures and discovery of Sītā. Hanumān has given Sītā’s jewel to Rāma, who is overjoyed and full of praise for him and...
Editorial Rāva?a gives orders (above) to his remaining brothers and ministers and then sets out in his chariot with what remains of his army, with Mahāpār?va, Mahodara and Virūpāk?a also in their chariots. Sugrīva leads the advance of the monkeys on R...
Editorial The procession returns to Ayodhyā, along the bottom of the painting, the sorrowful and deserted city being the haunt of cats and owls. Bharata and ?atrughna take their leave of the queens and tell Vasi??ha that they will retire to Nandigrāma and...
Editorial Rama recognises Lava and Kusha as his own sons and decides to have Sita vindicated by oath in front of all. The top left shows Valmiki being approached by Rama's messengers; Sita is shown inside the hut. The lower section depicts Sita being brought to ...
Editorial In the palace, Rāva?a and his remaining brothers and sons are bowed down by grief and Rāva?a wonders how he can ever be victorious in this conflict, when so many demon champions have been slain. Another son, Indrajit, boasts that he will overcome...
Editorial Sugrīva then tells Rāma and Lak?ma?a how powerful his brother Bāli is and how difficult it will be to defeat him. He tells the story of Bāli and the demon Dundubhi, who had assumed the form of a buffalo. The demon is shown rampaging about uproo...
Editorial Rāva?a's body is burnt with the prescribed wooden vessels on the pyre set alight by Vibhī?a?a. Lak?ma?a, seen at the bottom on the left, offers pi??a cakes to Rāma (this is not in the text). At the top on the left, Rāma divests himsel...
Editorial Rama and the visiting sages are shown discoursing, seated in his palace on the right. Agastya explains to Rama the origins of the rakshasas (demons). Prajapati the creator, here shown seated on a lotus, first created the waters, depicted as a river at ...
Editorial On the right in the palace, the princes ask the king for teachers of religion, arts and sciences, while above two ladies at a carpeted jharokhā window look down on them on the left as they practise horsemanship on the exercise ground. One man is about...
Editorial On the left, Dhanada (Vaisravana), Lord of Wealth, in his palace on Mount Kailasa, asks Manibhadra, the prince of the Yakshas, to fight the demons. Manibhadra is shown as a giant with joined hands. The right section depicts the battle between Ravana an...
Editorial The royal procession enters Ayodhyā in triumph. Rāma and Sītā are in one carriage and the three brothers in another, while Vibhī?a?a and the allied chiefs all ride on elephants. The procession arrives at the palace through the bazaar with its ...
Editorial The asvamedha sacrifice. Vibhishana is shown paying homage to the ascetics gathered for the great sacrifice. The monkeys serve the visitors. Bharata and Satrughna distribute clothing to the ascetics who have gathered for the sacrifice. In the top left ...
Editorial Hanumān is perplexed as to how he can speak to Sītā, surrounded as she is by demon guardians. Perched in his tree, he begins to recite Rāma’s praises. Sītā is at first confused by him and thinks he might be Rāva?a in one of his disguises. Bu...
Editorial The two princes and their uncle have dismounted from their chariots and advance from the left to greet the king. He comes out of the palace on the right in his chariot and bends down to greet them lovingly. Elephants are in the background, as well as t...
Editorial Kumbhakar?a is back on his chariot and is advancing with demons behind him, his battle standard marked with a snake. Rāma and his chief allies are holding a council, with many looking fearfully over the hill at the advancing Kumbhakar?a. All the m...
Editorial The gods, celestial beings, kings, rishis, royalty and common folk have all assembled to witness the vindication of Sītā. In front of the assembly, Sītā says that she has never ever thought of anyone but Rāma and that the Earth goddess Mādhavī s...
Editorial The result of the general assault has been inconclusive and the battle has continued long into the night. A?gada thought he had killed Indrajit, but the demon had just made himself invisible in his sky-chariot, and now has pierced Rāma and Lak?ma?...
Editorial Rāva?a has a brother, the giant Kumbhakar?a, whom Brahmā had cursed to spend most of his life asleep. Rāva?a decides that he needs him to fight Rāma and sends an army of his demons to waken the monster. The demons try to rouse the prostrate K...
Editorial Ravana goes to the Narmada river. On the left, the titans are shown carrying the sacred linga and placing it before Ravana with the flowers necessary for worship. Ravana is shown placing the linga on the flowers and cleansing himself in the Narmada. On...
Editorial Brahma is seen flying on his mount, the goose, and again in the left foreground granting the young Vaisravana a boon as the Lord of Wealth. Vaisravana is shown in the Pushpaka chariot in the background and then with his father Visravas, when he asks fo...
Editorial Poulastya's curse. On the left is the hermitage of Poulastya surrounded by trees. The maiden daughters of the rishis wander into the hermitage. The daughter of Trinabindu, not knowing of the curse, disturbs Poulastya, instantly falling pregnant. On the...
Editorial Rāma is seated on a mat facing the two brothers, with the three queens and Sītā on his right. Bharata continues to urge Rāma to return to Ayodhyā to be crowned, arguing that their father had sinned against him for fear of his wife’s wrath. But R...
Editorial Ravana returns to Lanka and is cursed by the women whom he abducted. Ravana is informed by his brother Vibhishana that his sister Kumbharini has been taken away by Madhu. Ramayana. Udaipur, 1653. Source: Add. 15297(2), f.54. Language: Sanskrit.
Editorial Highly pleased with the information he brought, Rāma asks Lak?ma?a to fetch water from the ocean and consecrates Vibhī?a?a as king of La?kā. Vibhī?a?a advises Rāma to seek the help of his ancestor the Ocean to make a path for his arm...
Editorial The Brahmins and the queens in their litters approach. Kausalyā points out the place by the river where Rāma offered the ritual water and laments the pitiable quality of the pi??as offered to her dead husband. The three exiles then greet the quee...
Editorial Rāva?a descends in a procession into the Nikumbhila grove in the bottom register, accompanied by Vibhī?a?a and many attendants. There he sees his son Meghanāda performing various sacrifices (above), with priests around the sacred fire and teth...
Editorial The top left register shows Brahma, Siva and Vishnu following Indra while watching events below where Ravana is surrounded by his demon army. The lower section shows Ravani, Ravana's son, in armour on a horse leading Indra away with his hands bound. Th...
Editorial Da?aratha, enthroned in durbar, tells the Brahmins Vasi??ha and Vāmadeva and his minister Sumantra of his intention to resign his throne to Rāma as regent; on the left, these three summon Rāma and Lak?ma?a. Above, four Brahmins begin to pre...
Editorial Sītā casts herself into the great fire to the horror of all. But Agni, the golden god of Fire himself, rises from the flames attesting to Sītā’s purity and presents her to her husband. The gods, headed by Brahmā on his ha?sa bird, Indra on his...
Editorial Rāma and Lak?ma?a on the right, with Rāma now changed into contemporary court costume, approach the gate of Kaikeyī's palace and, leaving their sandals at the door, come into the audience chamber. They kneel respectfully before the dejected king...
Editorial Lavana returns from hunting for food and Shatrughana attacks him with arrows, killing him. Shatrughana is lauded by the gods who grant him a boon. As Shatrughana wishes to occupy the kingdom of Madhu (Rama's desire), they grant him his wish. On the lef...
Editorial On the left Bharata, in his extreme distress, faints after hearing Guha's tale of his meeting with Rāma, and is revived by his brother and the queens. Kausalyā tells him that they all depend on him totally. Guha leads them all, this time from the rig...