Maharaja Playing Holi
No, it’s not about global warming. This is an exhibition of paintings from the royal collection of Jodhpur. Although they are in the miniature style the paintings are in poster size sheets. There is such a wealth of information about the historical context in which they were done that this exhibition is really like an illustrated history book. The pictures are very decorative at the beginning and gradually get more and more subtle and bare. The exhibition traces the history of three generations of rulers of Jodhpur in the 18th and 19th Centuries.
The last section is particularly interesting as it deals with the representation of the esoteric knowledge of the Nath yogis who were practically the power behind the throne during the reign of Maharaja Man Singh. There is a very beautiful illustration of the story of creation with Purusha and Prakriti taking a male and a female form to create the world. The Creation of the Cosmic Ocean and Elements
On display until 11th October.
