Princely women visit a holy man

A group of women visit a venerable yogi, sensitively depicted here as an old man engaged in deep meditation with his eyes closed. He is identifiable as a mahant (abbot) by his long jata (dreadlocks) that wrap around his knees and the tiger skin he sits on. These are markers of his renunciation, seniority, and high status. The yogi’s quiet figure becomes the painting’s main subject, which is reinforced by the fly-whisk bearer, the group of women, and other yogis who respectfully stand nearby.