Vasakasajja Nayika - An Illustration to Gita Govinda

Nature is in its full exuberance, blooming with fragrant and colourful flowers, in the sylvan surroundings of the forest. It is time for Krishna to approach his beloved Radha who, clad in a lovely green full sleeved dress with an ample skirt, is awaiting Krishna, coyly arranging her ornaments. In this starlit night she has prepared a bed of leaves and decorated it with flowers. She seems a little ill at ease in the great expectation of the approaching moment. On the other side duti, the messenger is signalling to Krishna to go to Radha. She is dressed in a green and orange skirt and has wrapped a transparent golden odhani around her. Their graceful movements, their ornaments particularly the ear ornament, sprays of flowers on the trees and thick but well-balanced vegetation, several pairs of birds reflecting the mood of the time, mirror the artistic achievements of Kangra paintings of the late 18th century.