Krishna Lifting Mount Govardhan

Description

Created within the artistic sphere of the Mewar court during the seventeenth century, reflecting the deep devotional Vaishnavism embraced by the region.

Historical context

In this magnificent creation attributed to the master painter Shahadin, the divine cowherd Krishna effortlessly hovers the sacred Mount Govardhan upon his finger like a protective umbrella. Furious that the villagers of Vraj abandoned his sacrificial worship in favor of honoring the mountain and their nurturing cows, the rain god Indra unleashed torrential thunderstorms and apocalyptic clouds to submerge the region. Yet the Lord, radiant in his celestial blue complexion and adorned in garments of gold, creates a sanctuary of absolute safety beneath the rocky slopes. Gopis, gopas, calves, and magnificent cows gather under the divine canopy with unwavering faith, witnessing the humbling of the proud deity Indra, who arrives defeated atop his grand white elephant Airavata in the upper corner of the stormy sky.