Pichwai for Daan Leela

A pichwai depicting Daan Leela or the 'festival of the toll', in which Shrinathji’s exacts a toll from the gopis of Vraj as they go out to sell their milk, curd and butter.

The pichwai depicts Shrinathji as gwala (cowherd), the presiding deity of the pilgrimage centre Nathdwara. At the centre of the scene is a bejewelled Shrinathji in princely garb flanked by gopis to the left and gwalas to the right in a hilly landscape with trees at the back and a herd of peacocks beneath – watched over by Brahma, Vishnu,Shiva and other deities seated in their flying vehicles. The panel is surrounded by small square registers showing Shrinathji in various swaroopas along with inscriptions in Devanagiri above each. A narrow band consisting of a repeated motif, that of the cow, may be observed to both sides and the top of the panel. An outer border of floral motifs survives only at the top end. The panel is painted on pieced fabric consisting of three sections and backed with a coarse cotton fabric.