Ahalya
Raja Ravi VarmaCirca 1898
The Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation
Bengaluru, India
AHALYA: The tale of Ahalya is primarily found in the Bala-kandam of the Ramayan by Valmiki. Ahalya was a princess from the Puru Dynasty and was the wife of a great saint Gautama.
Ahalya's beauty was besotted by Indira who was intent on seeking her companionship.
Indra disguised himself as Gautama and Ahalya allowed Indra into her home. Gautama returned from his prayer to discover the misdeed. In addition to cursing Indra, he cursed Ahalya to turn to stone. The curse was to be absolved only when Sri Rama entered the precincts of the ashram. The curse of Ahalya is finally absolved when Sri Rama visits the ashram of Gautama before he reaches Mithila accompanied by the great sage Vishwamitra and his brother Lakshmana.
This is the first in a series of three prints by the Ravi Varma Press which are derived from paintings by Raja Ravi Varma.
In this print entitled 'Ahalya' she is depicted as a young woman in the garden leaning on a tree and carrying a basket of flowers.
- Title: Ahalya
- Creator: Raja Ravi Varma, Ravi Varma Press
- Date Created: Circa 1898
- Physical Dimensions: 50 x 35 cms
- Provenance: The Hemamalini and Ganesh Shivaswamy collection, Bengaluru.
- Subject Keywords: Raja Ravi Varma, Ramayana, Gigapixel
- Type: Chromolithograph
- Rights: The Ganesh Shivaswamy Foundation, Bengaluru
- Creator's Biography: Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906) was a prolific Indian artist who is recognized for his resorting to the academic realistic style of painting. His portraits of English and Indian royalty and aristocracy were well received. His paintings on Hindu religious and mythological subjects and paintings from classical and literary sources were highly sought after even during his lifetime. He painted several copies of his works and this demand led to the suggestion to have his paintings printed in the form of oleographs. The Ravi Varma Fine Art Lithographic Press was established in Bombay (now Mumbai) and commenced operations in 1894. Many of Ravi Varma's paintings were printed as chromolithographs at this Press. These chromolithographs would have a tremendous impact on religion, society and aesthetics. They went on to democratize art leading to immortalize Ravi Varma in the minds of the people of the Indian subcontinent.
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