KRISHNA-THE DIVINE FLAUTIST

Here is a collection of some abstract paintings -

They depict Lord Krishna-the Divine flautist,

the Cowherd,the Eternal Lover of Radhe,

in various forms as conceptualised by the artistes....

I have presented them as a short slideshow....

Do view the slideshow by clicking on the image....

and do subscribe to my YouTube channel too....

                   -Image courtesy-Net

KRISHNA THE FLAUTIST- MY MADHUBANI PAINTING

Hers is my Madhubani Painting 

of Lord Krishna playing 

His magical flute in the gardens

of the the Brindavan...

on the banks of 

the swirling Yamuna river....

KRISHNA WITH BAMA AND RUKMINI -MY TANJORE PAINTING

Here is Krishna with his consorts

Bama and Rukmini-

depicted in  Tanjore style art

popularly called Tanjore Painting...

As you know,this style of painting

has its roots is Maharashtra...

It was brought to Tanjore 

during the rule of the Maratas

and it flourished here and 

are popularly known as Tanjore paintings or

Thanjavur paintings or

 Thanjai paani oviyam...

KALINGA NARTHANAM - MY TANJORE PAINTING

Here is Lord Krishna,

depicted in my tanjore painting,

dancing victoriously on 

the vile Kalinga,the five headed snake...

Here is the story of Kaliya marthan or Kalinga nardhanam...

Kaliya (IAST:Kāliya, Devanagari: कालिय), in Hindu mythology, was the name of a poisonous Naga living in the Yamuna River, in Vrindavan. The water of the Yamuna for four leagues all around him boiled and bubbled with poison. No bird or beast could go near, and only one solitary Kadamba tree grew on the river bank.

The proper home of Kāliya was Ramanaka Dwipa, but he had been driven away from there by fear of Garuda, the foe of all serpents. Garuda had been cursed by a yogi dwelling at Vrindavan so that he could not come to Vrindavan without meeting his death. Therefore Kāliya chose Vrindavan as his residence, knowing it was the only place where Garuda could not come.

Once Krishna and herdboys were playing ball, and while playing Krishna climbed up the Kadamba tree and hung over the river bank, the ball fell into the river and Krishna jumped after it. Kāliya rose up with his hundred and ten hoods vomiting poison and wrapped himself around Krishna's body. Krishna became so huge that Kāliya had to release him. So Krishna saved himself from every attack, and when he saw the Brij folk were so much afraid he suddenly sprang into Kāliya's head and assumed the weight of the whole universe, and danced on the naga's heads, beating time with his feet. Then Kāliya began to die. But then the naga's wives came and prayed to Krishna with joined palms, worshipping Krishna and praying for their husband.

Kāliya, recognizing the greatness of Krishna, surrendered, promising he would not harass anybody. So Krishna pardoned him and then let him go free to leave the river and go to Ramanaka Dwipa...

(Story courtey-Wiki)

KRISHNA WITH RUKMINI AND SATYABAMA -A TANJORE PAINTING

Here is Shri Krishna seated in a swing

with Ruckmini and Satyabama-his consorts...

This is my replica of an antique Tanjore painting

GEETOPADESHA - A 3-D MURAL

"

"YADHAA YADHAA HI DHARMASYA...

GYAANIR BHAVATHI BHAARATHA...

ABYUTHAANAM ADHARMASYA...

THADHAATHMAANAM SRIJAAMYAHAM...

PARITHRAANAAYA SAADHOONAAM...

VINAASAAYACHA DUSHKRUTHAAM...

DHARMA SAMSTHAABANAARTHAAYA...

SAMBHAVAAMI YUGHE YUGHE..."

MEANING...

"Whenever there is a fall in Dharma(Justice)

and a rise in Adharma(Injustice/The wrong)

I shall come here...

When there is a dance of destruction 

and the principles of sustenance weaken...

I ,who am omnipresent and watching everything...

shall take control of the situation

and set things in balance...

to protect the devout /good...

raze out the evil which vandalises the Earth...

and re-establish Dharma...

I shall manifest 

in every Yugha(Era/period)...."

Thus spake Lord Krishna

in the battle fields of Kurukshetra...

to Arjuna...

who was blessed to get 

the Geetopadesha...

"Do your duty...do not expect the rewards..."

says Krishna...

Doesn't it apply 

not only to the Pandavas but to you and me too?

This is the scene that I have depicted

in my Tanjore Painting

"Geetopadesham"

Where you see Lord Krishna

delivering the divine message

to Arjuna when he hesitates to 

lift his bow and arrow against 

the Kauravas...his kith and kin 

-and also his wrong doers...

The whole piece is given a metallic finish 

and figures of Sri Krishna and Arjuna 

are painted with acrylic colors...

The base of this mural is wood...

GEETOPADESHAM -MY TANJORE PAINTING

"

"YADHAA YADHAA HI DHARMASYA...

GYAANIR BHAVATHI BHAARATHA...

ABYUTHAANAM ADHARMASYA...

THADHAATHMAANAM SRIJAAMYAHAM...

PARITHRAANAAYA SAADHOONAAM...

VINAASAAYACHA DUSHKRUTHAAM...

DHARMA SAMSTHAABANAARTHAAYA...

SAMBHAVAAMI YUGHE YUGHE..."

MEANING...

"Whenever there is a fall in Dharma(Justice)

and a rise in Adharma(Injustice/The wrong)

I shall come here...

When there is a dance of destruction 

and the principles of sustenance weaken...

I ,who am omnipresent and watching everything...

shall take control of the situation

and set things in balance...

to protect the devout /good...

raze out the evil which vandalises the Earth...

and re-establish Dharma...

I shall manifest 

in every Yugha(Era/period)...."

Thus spake Lord Krishna

in the battle fields of Kurukshetra...

to Arjuna...

who was blessed to get 

the Geetopadesham...

"Do your duty...do not expect the rewards..."

says Krishna...

Doesn't it apply 

not only to the Pandavas but to you and me too?

This is the scene that I have depicted

in my Tanjore Painting

"Geetopadesham"

Where you see Lord Krishna

delivering the divine message

to Arjuna when he hesitates to 

lift his bow and arrow against 

the Kauravas...his kith and kin 

-and also his wrong doers...

RADHE KRISHNA....A METAL EMBOSSING

HERE IS THE CELESTIAL PAIR ...

THE DIVINE LOVERS

RADHA AND KRISHNA...

SWINGING IN GAY ABANDON...

CRAFTED ON AN ALUMINIUM METAL SHEET,

THIS PIECE GIVES ME EXTRA PLEASURE

BECAUSE IT ADORNS A HALL IN A BHAKTA'S HOUSE

WHERE THEY CONDUCT   " RADHA KALYANAM"  EVERY YEAR...

LITTLE KRISHNA -A METAL EMBOSSING

IN THIS METAL EMBOSSING

 DONE ON AN ALUMINIUM SHEET,

LOOK AT LITTLE KRISHNA...

OUR BELOVED BUTTER THIEF

FEAST ON A HAND  FULL OF 

RICH AND CREAMY BUTTER

FROM A TOPPLED POT 

IN A GOPIKA'S  HOUSE...

NO WONDER  HE IS FONDLY 

CALLED BY ONE AND ALL

MAKAN CHOR

NAVANEETHA CHORA

 VENNAI THIRUDI KRISHNA...

NAVANEETHA KRISHNA...

VITHOBA KRISHNA -A TANJORE PAINTING

                          HERE IS SRI VITHOBHA  KRISHNA (PANDURANGA)
                          DEPICTED BY ME IN TANJORE ART FORM...


                          THE STORY OF PANDURANGA IS A VERY INTERESTING ONE....

Vithal, or Vitthal,  or Vithoba, or Pandurang  (a form of Krishna) is worshipped in some temples in Kerala. Vittala's original temple is at Pandharpur, Maharashtra. It is located 65 km west of Solapur, on the banks of the river Bhimarathi also known as Chandrabhaga. Phandarpur is  referred as Pandaripuram  in Kerala. The name Vithoba means Father Vitthala. Vitthala is said to have been derived from the word Vishnu in Kannada. Panduranga is a sanskritized form of Pandarga, the old name of Pandharpur. It is said that the devotee Pundalik founded Pandharpur. His father Janudeva and mother Satyavati lived in a thick forest called Dandirvan. Pundalik was a devoted son but soon after his marriage he began to ill-treat his parents. To escape from this misery, the parents decided to go on a pilgrimage to Kashi. When Pundalik's wife learnt about this, she also decided to go. She and her husband joined the same group of pilgrims on horseback. While the son and his wife rode on horseback, the old couple walked. Every evening when the party camped for the night, the son forced his parents to groom the horses and do other jobs. The poor parents cursed the day they decided to go on a pilgrimage. Soon the party reached the ashrama of the great sage Kukkutswami. There they decided to spend a couple of nights. They were all tired and soon fell asleep-except Pundalik who could not sleep. Just before daybreak he saw a group of beautiful, young women, dressed in dirty clothes, enter the ashrama, clean the floor, fetch water and wash the swami's clothes. Then they entered the inner room of the ashrama, and came out in beautifully clean clothes and passing near Pundalik, they vanished. Next night he saw the same sight again. Pundalik threw himself at their feet and begged them to tell who they were. They said they were Ganga, Yamuna and other holy rivers of India in which the Pilgrims bathed and washed off sins. Their clothes became dirty by the sins of the bathing pilgrims. "And because of your ill-treatment of your parents," they said, "You are the greatest sinner." This brought about a complete change in him and he became the most devoted son. Now the parents' rode the horses while the son and his wife walked by their side. By their love and affection, the son and his wife urged the parents to give up the pilgrimage and return to Dandirvan. One day it so happened that Lord Krishna, the King of Dwarka, while feeling lonely, was reminded of his early days in Mathura. He particularly remembered his sports with the milkmaids, the cowherd boys, and his love, Radha. Though she was dead, he longed to see her again. By his divine powers he brought her back to life and seated her by his side. Just then his queen, Rukmini, entered the room. When Radha did not rise to pay her respect, Rukmini left Dwarka in anger and hid herself in Dandirvan forest. After some days, Lord Krishna set off in search of Rukmini. He first went to Mathura, then to Gokul. He met the milkmaids and cowherd boys. They too joined in the search. They went to Mount Govardhan in her search. At last they reached the banks of the river Bhima in the Deccan. Krishna left his companions at Goplapura, and he himself entered Dandirvan forest alone in search of her. At last he found her and managed to calm her. Krishna and Rukmini came to Pundalik's ashrama. But at that time Pundalik was busy attending to his parents. Though he knew Lord Krishna had come to see him, he refused to pay his respect to the god before his duty towards his parents was done. He, however, threw a brick outside for lord Krishna to stand upon. Impressed by Pundalik's devotion to his parents, Lord Krishna did not mind the delay. Standing on the brick he waited for Pundalik. When Pundalik came out and begged God's pardon, Lord Krishna replied that far from being displeased, he was pleased with his love for his parents. Lord Krishna then ordered him  to worship Vithoba, or God who stood upon a brick. An imposing temple was built at the place where Krishna and Pundalik had met. Inside the temple stands Krishna's image on a brick. By his side stands the image of Rukmini.This temple covering a vast area has a total of six gates.  The eastern entrance to this temple is known as the Namdev gate (after the great 13th century Vaishnava saint). The sanctum enshrines the standing image of Vithoba also known as Panduranga, Pandhari or Vitthala. Stylistically the image dates back to the 5th century. There are inscriptions in this temple dating back to the 13th century which place origin of this shrine to the 6th century.(courtesy internet) .

OONJAL KRISHNA - A TANJORE PAINTING

 


HERE IS MY DEAR KRISHNA-DEPICTED IN TANJORE STYLE.....

.
WATCH HIM SIT IN HIS WELL UPHOLSTERED EMERALD ENCRUSTED GOLDEN SWING

HANGING FROM A GEM ENCRUSTED MANDAPAM...

WITH HIS FAVORITE BUTTER POT BESIDE HIM  AND A SMALL DOLLOP OF BUTTER

HELD WITH HIS THUMB AND INDEX FINGER IN HIS RIGHT HAND...

KRISHNA WITH A POT OF BUTTER IS USUALLY KEPT IN MANY HINDU HOMES

AS IT SYMBOLISES PROSPERITY AND JOY...

GANESHA WITH LITTLE KRISHNA ON HIS LAP- A TANJORE PAINTING

HERE IS AN OFFBEAT GANESHA ... DONE IN TANJORE STYLE...


GANESHA IS SEATED COMFORTABLY WITH LITTLE KRISHNA SEATED ON HIS LAP!

WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS PICTURE ,I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST AN OFFBEAT PORTRAYAL

OF GANESHA AS WE SEE HIM IN SO MANY DIFFERENT AND UNUSUAL FORMS...

BUT, LONG AFTER FINISHING THIS PAINTING ,I CAME TO KNOW THAT  THIS FORM

OF GANAPATHI WITH LITTLE KRISHNA ON HIS LAP GIVES DARSHAN IN THE

SRI MAHAGANAPATHI TEMPLE OF MALLIYOOR, KOTTAYAM DISTRICT,KERALA.

SRI KRISHNA -THE COWHERD- A MADHUBANI PAINTING...

                     HERE IS  KRISHNA  , THE COWHERD OF BRINDAVAN...

                     PORTRAYED IN A VIBRANTLY COLORED MADHUBANI PAINTING-
                   
                     WATCH HIS COW NESTLING AROUND HIS FEET IN TOTAL SURRENDER

                     AS IT LISTENS TO THE SWEET MELODIES FLOAT OUT OF HIS

                      DIVINE FLUTE...WHICH SPELLBINDS NOT ONLY HIS COWS....

                      BUT THE FOLKS OF BRINDAVAN ,AND ALL THE LIVES

                      IN THIS UNIVERSE...

LITTLE KRISHNA- A MADHUBANI PAINTING

 A little kid accompained his mother to my place.

As we were busy working with a mural,the little one got restless and started

pestering and disturbing us...

I worked out a tiny strategy!!!!

I gave him a small Madhubani sketch and asked him to trace it out in a paper...

That kept him busy for the whole session...

Next day he was back ...He wanted to paint it!!!!!!

and with a wee bit of help and guidance on color choice and and crayons and sketch pens...

he was able to do  this colorful Kutti Krishna ....

and ,God!!!How proud he was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and his Mamma too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RADHA MADHAVAM - A KERALA MURAL

                  In the idyllic surrounding of the gardens of BRINDAVAN
                  
                 on the swirling banks of the River Yamuna,


                 watch Krishna ... and his beloved -RADHA....


                 lost in their own world ....


                 In this KERALA MURAL -  I have portrayed the 


                 Divine pair engulfed in love...


                 The  subtle use of the Pancha varnas -


                ( though I have not used the traditional vegetable dyes)


                ( I have stuck to the prescribed shades...)


                 add an ethinic touch to this painting which is also 


                 popularly known as JALAKREEDA...


                 


                 


                  


                  

SRI VENUGOPALAN - A TANJORE PAINTING

                           


                The Divine Flautist-Lord Krishna 
                in the form of Sri Venugopalan is depicted
                here in this TANJORE PAINTING by me...
                
                Watch him play the flute in the Punnai Vanam
                mesmerising the Gopikas,the cows and the calves ,
                the trees and plants ...and all in the Universe...

NAVANEETHA CHORA- A KERALA MURAL

Here is the Little Butter Thief...Navaneetha Chora...


our beloved Krishna....out on a butter raid....


A Kerala Mural...depicting little Krishna on his mission...


Feasting on a hand full of fresh butter that a Gopika has 


just churned and stored carefully at a safe height


-Away from the reach of this naughty lil brat...


Watch his pals...the cat waiting for some spillovers


and the parrot ,fluttering its wings as though it is helping


Krishna tilt the pot laden with butter...

TANJORE PAINTING _AALILAI KRISHNA

1.                              

                            "KARAARA VINDHEENA PADHAARA VINDHAM
                             MUGHAARA VINDHE VINIVE SAYANDHAM
                             VADASYA PATRASYA PUDE SAYAANAM
                              BAALAM MUKUNDHAM MANASAA SMARAAMI "

                             Let us salute wholeheartedly the BalaMukundha lying on the
                             Banyan leaf with his lotus like foot held in his lotus like hands
                             close to his radiant face.....

                             Little Krishna lying on an Aalilai is a very famous Tanjore Painting
                             And I have had the pleasure of portraying Sri Krishna in this form
                             many a times...and mind it-every time it was a pleasant and happy
                             experience to paint the  bejewelled Baby- Krishna lying on
                             a  gem  encrusted  Banyan leaf...
                           



                          

NAVANEETHA KRISHNA -A TANJORE PAINTING

                                       

NAVANEETHA KRISHNA

or

VENNAI THAAZHI KRISHNAR

Here is my Navaneetha Krishna

an ever popular theme in Tanjore painting.

Watch little Krishna sitting in a cushioned pedestal

flanked by Gopis who are pampering him...

In this form,you will see little Krishna

holding a golden pot filled with butter...

In this painting ,you will see Little Krishna 

holding a blob of butter ,his favorite delicacy...

While one lady who stands besides him offers

him a tiny blob of butter,

and entertaining him with a parrot,

another one is offering a butter ball 

as well as a lotus, a flower 

which holds a special place  in his worship...

This traditional tanjore painting,

Krishna seated in a bejeweled ,cushioned throne,

bedecked in precious jewels and a lotus  garland-

again ,a signature of Tanjore paintings...

the little children,calf,and the fruit tray are 

all favorites of little Krishna or attributes 

associated with his leelas...

and the celestial beings are showering

the Lord with flowers from Heaven...

Usually,this picture has an important place

in the puja rooms  or the place of worship 

in many a South Indian,Hindu household

as it signifies prosperity and well being.....