AN ILLUSTRATION TO THE ‘KANGRA RASIKAPRIYA’

---

The Kangra Rasikapriya, is a large series, now dispersed, which originally could well have had over 200 paintings. Fourteen paintings from the series, including The Night Tryst discussed previously, are in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. W.G. Archer discussed the series in length in Indian Painting from the Punjab Hills (1973, Kangra, no.66 i-vi, pp.305-307). Archer attributes it to Kangra on the basis that the oval format with yellow margins and floral surrounds is clearly based on the famed ‘Lambagraon’ Baramasa series and that it relates closely to the ‘Lambagraon’ Gita Govinda series, both from Kangra. 

The hand of the master Artist Purkhu may be recognized in the early paintings from this Rasikapriyaset. However, it is certain that several artists, possibly coming from different states, collaborated to produce this expansive set (Goswamy & Fischer, 'Purkhu of Kangra' in Beach, Fischer & Goswamy, Masters of Indian Painting, Zurich, 2011, pp.719–32). 

This artist who painted this work is probably the same who executed inv.no.I.M.74-1912 in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Originally identified as ‘A Zenana scene, Nurpur, 19th century’, it has been reattributed to the Kangra Rasikapriya, circa 1820-25 .

Other paintings from the ‘Kangra Rasikapriya’ recently sold at Bonhams New York, 16 March 2021, lot 338 and Christie’s London, 26 June 2020, lot 9, lot 28, lot 30, lots 67-69. Others were sold at Christie’s London, 2 May 2019, lot 92 and lot 94; 25 May 2017, lots 74 to 78 and Bonhams, New York, 19 March 2012, lot 1186 and 14 March 2016, lot 107.

  In this exquisite painting, Radha leans against a gold woven bolster. She wears white garments and a diaphanous white odni with gold trims over a gold bodice. Her sakhi, appearing from behind the terrace balustrade, talks to her, commenting on Krishna’s action. The god lifts Radha’s foot from the footstool and holds it in his hand. With a brush, he applies a red dye called mahavar to the foot. Mahavar (also known as alta) is traditionally made from betel leaves and applied to the hands and feet of women during festivals or marriage ceremonies. 

The figure of Krishna on this painting is very close to that on a painting depicting Krishna and Radha conversing with one another in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (inv.no.IS.50-1949).

This painting is inscribed with verses from the Rasikapriya of Keshav Das. Keshav Das, a Brahmin from Orchha in Bundelkhand, was the court poet of Raja Madhukar Shah of Orchha (r.1554-1592). He wrote his famous love poem Rasikapriya in 1591. The Rasikapriya analysed the various types of lover, with special reference to Radha and Krishna and seems to have been a favourite with Kangra painters. 

These paintings come from a celebrated set, labelled the ‘Kangra Rasikapriya’ by scholars of Indian painting. Discussing another painting from the set, B.N. Goswamy writes ‘Krishna becomes for the poet the ideal nayak, and Radha the archetypal beloved. Through them, and occasionally through a sakhi-friend, intense love is expressed, experienced, celebrated (B.N. Goswamy, The Spirit of Indian Painting, 2016, p.441). 

Work on the ‘Kangra Rasikapriya’ probably started during the reign of Sansar Chand (1765-1823), circa 1820. As suggested by Archer, the series could have been commissioned either as part of a birthday celebration of Krishna or even to celebrate a wedding (W.G. Archer, Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills, 1973, p.307). 

The Night Tryst (painting no.134 from the set, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London) displays the nayika in a similar wilderness under a starry sky (fig. 1. inv.I.M. 157-1914). She is prachanna vasakasajja nayika [The lady who keeps a secret tryst]. It closely relates to the present work and is separated from it by only eight paintings in the sequence of the set (no.142 and no.134 respectively).