Ganesha's timeless appeal has been captured to perfection in this watercolor by artist Tulsi Das Vimbark. From the chubby limbs in their usual stance to the characteristic pot-belly of the indulgent laddoo-lover, this painting inspires a world of affection in the heart of the devotee. Note the soft glow of the skin, the effulgence of the elephant countenance. The golden halo that graces the h

Buddha is the ultimate superhuman in Buddhism, who attained enlightenment by his immense and continuous meditation; he is the founder of the Buddhist culture of Tibet. Buddha In Dhyana Statue Carved in the superfine Gambhar wood from Bodh Gaya, Lord Buddha Statue sits here on a dual-layered lotus pedestal in padmasana, and hands in dhyana mudra rest on his laps. The smooth and sharp texture of the

Anup Gomay is known for his artistic ability to provide picturesque backgrounds to his amazing paintings. In this painting, he encapsulates a baby blue sky decorated with cotton-like clouds and contrasted with a lush green setting, capturing rich American sycamores that give it an eye-catching look. The painting is bordered by a red brick pillared balustrade that is imprinted it with ethnic patter

Mahakala comes from the Sanskrit maha (great) and Kala (death or time) which translates that he is a deity beyond time. In Tibet, he is also called the Nagpo Chenpo, or the Great Black One, and is revered as guardian and protector. He is affiliated with the Hindu god Shiva. According to tradition, he dwells in the cremation grounds. In this thangka, he is depicted with two arms and two legs. On hi

In Hinduism, Religion Rasaleela is an interesting phenomenon. It refers to the ihalokiya (earthly) conduct - ‘leela’ - of the Vishnu-avatara Krishna. The word ‘rasa’ translates to aesthetics. As such, ‘rasaleela’ refers to the aesthetic depiction of Krishnaleela. The painting that you see on this page is of the image that first occurs to the mind when a devotee hears the word rasaleela

The unmistakable Tanjore painting is an especial kind of palagai padam (South Indian panel painting). Having originated as icons designed to grace the homes and temples of the wealthy, these works of art depict deities from the Hindu pantheon in all their iconographic beauty and glory. As such, the handpicked Tanjore painting that you see on this page is a collector’s item and would be a valuabl

A private moment between two young sahelis (female friends). As they while away their time with a dhol in their private chambers, the princess opens up the recesses of her heart to her favourite lady-in-waiting. She is telling her about a young man, a handsome warrior of the neighboring kingdom, whom she had occasion to exchange a glance with. Her heart is in a fledgling state of enamour, and she

This painting, "The Heroine in Her Wind Palace - Watercolor Painting" a masterpiece in Indian miniature art form, representing a royal lady, obviously a princess, seen across the gavaksha, or the oriel balcony of her wind-palace, presents a unique synthesis of various painting styles of medieval, as well as contemporary India. The features of the figure, a slightly angular face, sharp no

Such was the depth of Mirabai's devotion that it commanded the living presence of Lord Krishna. She was a mystic of the highest order and belonged to the bhakti cult of North India. Her composure of countenance betrays the loverlike nature of her reverence, which is one of the many schools of bhakti. For the resplendence of the oils and the spiritual ethos of the theme alone would this painti

Peace & Prosperity heralds escalation in artistic pursuits. During the Sikh period, art reached its pinnacle in Lahore, Amritsar, Jind, Patiala, etc. It had a unique style, standing in its own right, characterizing its own Punjabi manifestations, reflecting color scheme and ornamentation. Sobriety is the keynote of this painting. Executed in monochromes, it is a regal miniature. The pachyd

The bhumisparsha mudra is an interesting gesture assumed by no other deity than the Buddha. In Sanskrit, 'bhumi' means earth and 'sparsha' means to touch. The Buddha sits in the gracious shade of the Bodhi tree, His long limbs folded in the perfect padmasana. He is steeped in meditation as could be deduced from his composure of countenance, sculpted flawlessly from bras

Buddha is revered as an extraordinary man by the people in Tibet, who attained enlightenment and taught the four noble truths and the eight-fold paths of life to his disciples. This large size marble sculpture of Lord Buddha is carved in extreme finesse with each of his features realistically highlighted. He sits here in a lotus posture on a beautifully carved floral pedestal. Notice the superfine

This large size miniature, a contemporary work of art rendered in late Mughal art style of around 1740-50 AD, assimilating into it some Persian art elements too, especially in portraying the topography of the land and in the choice of palette, illustrates the legend of Laila and Majnun, a world-wide known, painted and sung tale of mad love with tragic end. Laila's Watercolor Painting:

Yantra is as known as ideal meditation tools used by many. Meanwhile, a Shri Yantra is considered one of the most powerful ones as it represents the entirety of the cosmos, making it be known as the Mother of all Yantras. Overlapping hexagrams symbolize the union between male and female aspects of the divine as well as the depth of Tantric practice. The triangles pointed downwards represent the fe

This exquisite painting displays Krishna’s childhood pastime in the traditional Tanjore style. The precision with which it has been made and the use of vibrant colors makes it appealing and breathtaking. Lord Krishna being the Supreme Lord, appeared just like an ordinary child in Vrindavan but His naughty and uncommon activities were always astonishing for all the inhabitants of Vraja including

Indian contemporary art mainly focuses on portraits. In this oil painting, the artist captures a middle-aged woman decorating herself. The woman is illustrated with a porcelain complexion, with her lovely countenance being etched with small almond eyes, a wide Nubian nose, and watermelon pink lips that complement her deep philtrum and her harmonizing nail paint. Her crimson red bindiya contrasts h

Goddess Durga is a main diety in Hindu Religion. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Her legend centers around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity, and Dharma the power of good over evil. Durga is believed to unleash her divine wrath against the wicked for the liberation of the oppressed and entails destruction to empower c

There is more to the adorable laughing Buddha than meets the eye. His face bursts forth with the mirth of enlightenment. His rucksack contains the bare essentials of a Bodhisattva, which is not much, but He is supremely content. A string of prayer beads graces His ample neck. The laughing Buddha, who lived in Zhejiang during the rule of Later Liang, was reputed to be a Buddha of benevolent charact

A young lady of distinctly noble bearing has stepped into the Shivamandir to pay her respects. She has duteously risen, dressed up, and arrived at the temple of her Lord at the crack of dawn. Within the bonds of her silence and sadhana, her roopa takes on an ethereal glow. She has lit the gold ghee lamp before Him. With her fair hands she lifts up the tiny basket of freshly plucked flowers that sh

A one-of-a-kind standing Buddha sculpture. Usually depicted as a seated figure nestled in the belly of a lotus, Siddhartha Gautama had a long past before He sat down at the foot of the Bodhi tree. He had spent years wandering the dense Himalayan foothills as an ascetic and the great Northern plains as a mendicant. The murti that you see on this page is of the wandering mendicant, seemingly just ar

In this Spirit Of Enlightenment Mandala Thangka Painting, the sacred hum symbol is at the heart of this mandala. Thick, white strokes of the brush against a scarlet-colored circlet. Painted in the Tibetan script, it is the final syllable of the Shadakshari Avalokiteshvara mantra, which is extracted from the Mahayana Karandavyuhasootra and is considered the moola (fundamental) mantra of Buddhism. A

She lacks neither beauty nor wealth. A powerful woman, not quite past her prime, sits with her legs crossed on a seat of red velvet and brocade cushions. She directs her gaze straight ahead of her, with all the confidence of the eldest bahuraani (daughter-in-law) in the absence of her mother-in-law. She is probably blessed with the love of more than one son in addition to her husband’s. In this

Goddess Durga then fought Mahishasura over a period of fifteen days during which he kept changing his shape to become different animals and misled her. Mahishasura believed that there is no woman in the world who could cause him any harm. The legend continues, Mahishasura, high on the power of "immortality", attacked Trilok (the three worlds of earth, heaven and hell) with his army. He e

The merciless Durga brings the great Mahishasura to His knees. Her simhavahana (lion-mount) has him between its teeth, while the dashabhujadharini (the one possessed of ten arms) push Him down with Her feet and drives the spear end of Her trishoola (trident) into Him. Helplessly, the proud Mahishasura looks up at the feminine victor. The work of art that you see on this page is a pattachitra of th

Perfect shades of vibrant colors and the sharp beauty of lord Ganesha, who stands in his nritya (dance) posture on a high pedestal decorated with lotus petals at the top and two multi-wick diyas of devotion on either side, majorly enhance picturesque aspects of this oil painting. The oval aureole bordered with full-grown multicolored flowers enhances the auspiciousness of this elephant god; garbed