Radha-Krishna (1800/1800)Salar Jung Museum
Radha-Krishna is a much revered icon in India. Radha-Krishna is an emotion as well. The divine couple have been written about and their love captured in paintings and sculpture. Temples have been made for them and they are worshipped by many Hindus all over the world.
The eternal love story of Radha and Krishna is first found in the Bhagavata Purana, a text written between the 5th and 10th centuries. Their story is further elaborated in the Sanskrit devotional poem Gita-govinda, by Jayadeva, in the 12th century.
Vidyapati's and Chandi Das' writings; Bhanudatta's Rasamanjari of 15th century capture the couple's love which has also been envisioned in the Rasikpriya from the 16th century by poet Keshavdas. Radha is a nayika (heroine) and Krishna is the nayaka (hero) in most texts.
In a bower of Vrindavan, Krishna sits under a Kadamba tree and plays a mesmerising tune on his flute.
Radha has come to the spot on listening to the sound of the flute and is offering a betel leaf concoction to Krishna.
The cows seen around Krishna are mesmerised by the sound of the flute and are swooning to the sound with happy expressions.
Krishna was mostly seen around Kadamba trees, his favourite place for his play and sport; holding the unique globular flowers of the tree. Hence the tree is also known as Haripriya, God’s favourite. He is often depicted as playing his flute in it's canopy.
Krishna wears the multi-coloured peacock feather crest on his head, of many hues and plays on his flute, a bamboo pipe, which breaks the silence of the quiet groves of Vrindavan and captures hearts. He wears a yellow pitambara, a 'dhoti', a long loin cloth.
Krishna wears a long garland and pearl jewellery including anklets, adding to his unearthly beauty. His 'pitambara' garment is believed to corresponds to light, a cosmic entity that breaks through the darkness.
Radha, a beautiful gopi, cowherd maiden, whose body gleams like molten gold; wears a radiant blue garment and pearl jewels with mahawar, a lac dye, on her dainty hands. Her large lotus-like eyes are lined with black kajal.
Radha-Krishna is the combined form of the Hindu god Krishna with his chief consort and shakti Radha. A divine couple, they are regarded as the feminine as well as the masculine realities of God, in several traditions of Vaishnavism. Radha is considered the Supreme Goddess.
Text and Curation : Soma Ghosh
Photography : M. Krishnamurthy and Bahadur Ali
Research Assistance : Dinesh Singh and E. Rajesh.
Project Direction: Dr. A. Nagender Reddy, Director, Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, India.
References -
1.Randhawa, M .S and Bhambri, S.D (1981)/ Basohli paintings of the Rasamanjari, New Delhi : Abhinav Publications.
2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Radha-Hindu-mythology
3. https://www.chinmayamission.com/the-art-of-god-symbolism-radha-and-krishna/
4. https://theconversation.com/why-the-love-story-of-radha-and-krishna-has-been-told-in-
hinduism-for-centuries-198716
5. https://www.holydham.com/a-description-of-radharanis-exquisite-beauty/
6. https://starofmysore.com/kadamba-vriksha-sri-krishnas-favourite
7. https://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/krishnaimage/
