Sita Swayamvar
Ravi Varma Press1880
Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation
Bengaluru, India
Maharishi Vishwamitra brings Rama and Lakshmana to King Janaka's court where he has organised a swayamvar for his daughter Sita. The only condition is that whoever lifts the heavy bow, strings and breaks it would win her hand in marriage. Many kings, princes, powerful men try in vain before Rama effortlessly lifts the mighty bow, strings and breaks it. Ravi Varma captures the scene vividly: the audience's amazement, Vishwamitra in the foreground, Lakshmana beside his brother while intriguingly, Sita is shown as a small girl, hugging her father Janaka while looking at Rama with childlike innocence as he completes the task.
- Title: Sita Swayamvar
- Creator: Ravi Varma Press
- Date Created: 1880
- Physical Dimensions: 35 x 50 cm
- 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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