Devi Rati is the complement and the constant companion of Kamadeva, the deity of love and its expression in desire. In the painting that you see on this page, the sumptuous Tanjore idiom captures the luxuriance of Rati’s beauty. She is seated on the back of Her vahana (divine mount), the parrot, a recurring faunal motif in the romantic imagination of the Indian psyche.
In the traditional lalitasana stance, the fair limbs of Rati are drawn quite wide apart. As the Devi of amorous intimacy and everything it entails, such a stance conveys Her suppleness and agility. She is clad in a choli (blouse) that reveals the curves of Her shoulders; Her ghagra (skirt) is short. Her long, lithe limbs are exposed to view, clasped in studded gold that has the same lustre as the complexion of Her body.
The painting features ample gold embellishment, in keeping with the traditional Tanjore style as well as the nature of the subject. Every bit of the Devi’s attire and adornment is fashioned from inlaid gold. The same applies to the adornment of Her vahana and its plumage. She looks delicately into a shiny silver mirror, the neck tilting forward from the weight of the bun behind Her head.
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