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Ahalya Shaap Vimochan or Ahilyodhar
Ravi Varma Press1890
Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation
Bengaluru, India
Falling prey to the lustful Indra, who tricks Ahalya into believing he is her husband Gautama Maharishi, she is cursed (shaap) into turning into a stone by the angry sage, who also curses Indra for this misdeed. When the two seek forgiveness, the Maharishi relents and says Ahalya's curse will end if and when Rama's feet touches the stone. A long time after, during his sojourn in the forest with Maharishi Vishwamitra, Rama's leg hits the stone bringing Ahalya back to her original, beautiful form. The removal of the curse (shaap) is the theme of this work.
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Details
- Title: Ahalya Shaap Vimochan or Ahilyodhar
- Creator: Ravi Varma Press
- Date Created: 1890
- Type: Reproduction
- Original Source: From the Sandeep & Gitanjali Maini Foundation
- Rights: Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation, Bengaluru
- Labels and Inscriptions: Ravi Varma Press, Karla, Lonavala
- Creator's Lifetime: 1848-04-29/1906-10-02
- About the Artist: Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906), India’s foremost artist, who took art to the masses, hailed from Kilimanoor, in the erstwhile state of Travancore. From a very young age, Ravi Varma, was drawn towards art, imbibing techniques from his uncle and mentor Raja Raja Varma and his mother, Umayamba Bayi, a poet in her own right. Varma was much sought after by the Royals and owing to his popularity and reputation, his spectacular and richly-textured works were prolific. His realistic portrayals of contemporary figures and interpretations of religious and mythological figures fetched him instant and enduring success, lifting his standing in the art world. If the Royals and his countrymen were in awe of this great talent, the international world was spellbound by his imagination and creativity. He ensured that art would be accessible to all, through reproductions of his paintings which were made available, and affordable to everyone.
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