Enthroned Bhagavti, Accompanied By Her Handmaidens (Tantric Devi Series)

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Bhagavati rules the Tantric heavenly realms. Framed by wisps of pale blue clouds in the background and a patch of dense green grasses in the foreground, this watercolour is a Basholi-style depiction of the Tantric Devi whose devotees never lack in wealth. She sits in lalitasana, which is highly atypical of Indian iconography, on a high-backed throne. It is richly studded with emeralds and rubies that glitter against the sun-bathed moors of the background. She leans against gorgeously coloured cushions in the sea of pastel-coloured silks that clothe Her beauteous form. Note how the garland of pristine flowers reaches all the way down to Her feet, and puts to shame the gold and jewels of the rest of Her shringar. She holds in Her hands a conch as fair and voluptuous as She is, its divine music being carried by the same winds that lift up the locks of Her waist-length hair.

The Devi is waited upon by two handmaidens who rival each other in terms of personal beauty and devotion to Her. Dressed in elegant silken skirts and seductive translucent dupattas, one of these ladies offers a namaskaram to Bhagavati while the other waves over Her head a chauri, which is an arati implement fit for royals. Their shringar does justice to the resplendent, enthroned entity painted betwixt them. Note how this composition has similarities with Mughal imperial portraiture, which serve to convey the power implicit in Her iconography and attributes.