A Tibetan thangka of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, one of the Shakyamuni triad of Mahayana Buddhism (together with Gautama Buddha and Manjushri). In this fine example of thangka art, He is depicted in a dynamic stance upon the back of a fair elephant, a mythical creature of the Buddhist heavens. A dhoti of powdery blue silk and sashes of pale gold float about the figure of Samantabhadra. His face is

Rendered in Marwar idiom of Rajasthani art style, pursuing the theme, style and everything of an early nineteenth century miniature from Jodhpur, in its exactness except the painting’s size and the background colour of the circle in the centre containing the figures of Radha and Krishna, the painting portrays a grieving Radha for Krishna’s failure to reach there despite the promise he had made

Tanjore paintings are famous for their unique depictions of devotional icons with pure gold coating and vivid colors. In this painting, Lord Venkateshavara stands straight atop a small elevated platform in His four-armed form (chaturbhuja). He is unprecedently dressed in a perfectly pleated pitambar (bright yellow) dhoti down to His ankles. Between the two fingers of His upper hands, He holds His

An image of tender devotion. Lord Hanuman kneels on one knee upon the earth and gathers His hands in the supplicatory namaskaaram. His tail flourishes behind Him as He raises His head towards His beloved Lord Rama, His eyes brimming with the bhakti in His heart. Bhakti, or unconditional love, is the yogamaarga (‘maarga’ is Sanskrit for path) of Hanuman, an accomplished yogi of the finest order

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

Oil painting spring

Divinity reaches the next level with Kailash Raj's new painting wonder. He again works his magic with an amazing calligraphy that captures the Islamic tradition in a nutshell. Having a vast history and mainly developing from the carvings of the Quran and ancient traditions, calligraphy holds a great position in the Islamic culture. In this painting, Kailash Raj has encapsulated the valuable p

Lord Ganesh is one of Hinduism’s most prominent deities. He is the god of new beginnings and the lord who removes obstacles. Because of these, he is often invoked at the beginning of prayers or rituals, or when believers are set to undergo a major milestone and before making life decisions. He is traditionally depicted with an elephant head, often large in the proportion which signifies knowledg

A glorious description of Lord Venkateshvara, a form of Bhagwan Vishnu. Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practices and an increase in irreligiosity, the Supreme Lord descends to reestablish Dharma and deliver the impious people. In Kali Yuga, Lord Vishnu appeared in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh in the form of Bhagwan Venkateshvara to attract people to God-consciousness. Today, tho

Lantana painting ?

On a throne of cut-glass lotus petals kneels Lord Hanuman. The right knee grazes the surface of the throne, the left foot set against the same. Against the knee jutting out laterally rests His goad, the weapon that is indispensable to the cebine iconography of Lord Hanuman. Like the jewels on the body of the warrior deity, His weapon is engraved and studded with pearls and rubies. A red and blue d

Sarah Bernhardt Painting

Kat Fedora painting

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

Albert Williams pretty floral painting

An Avalokiteshvara Thangka Painting such as the one you see on this page would be a valuable addition to the home of any Buddha devotee. It is a skillfully, perfectly symmetrically executed Lokeshvara thangka painting in His traditional iconography. He is the glorious Lokeshvara sahasrabhuja (thousand-armed), the unmistakable aspect of His iconography. Speaking of signature aspects, this is an ima

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

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

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

This ovally framed portrait is of the Mughal emperor Shahjahan, the builder of the Tajmahal. He is the only one of the Great Mughals to have lived to the greatest of grandeur and the worst of grief and achieved the highest of glory and the lowest of gloom. This depiction closely represents his likeness, as has been recorded in his contemporary portraits. The National Museum, New Delhi, has in its

The ashtabhujadhari Lord Ganesha, the one possessed of (‘dhari’) eight (‘ashta’) arms (‘bhuja’), stands on His short, chubby child’s legs. His adorable elephant head is turned sideways, revealing the lateral profile of His face to view. But for the gold predominating this Tanjore painting, it is a bitone composition in pale pink (the complexion of His form) and scarlet (the solid-col

Little girl painting with her 2 pups gif

In our Shastras, it has been mentioned that there are twelve forms of the Sun known as Adityas and they represent the twelve months in the calendar and twelve aspects of the Golden Deity Sun. As they are 12 in counting, they are referred to as Dvadashadityas. Adityas are basically the monthly Suns which is an ancient word for earth-moon barycentre for a lunar month. In the Rigveda, the Adityas

Nevari is the term for the architecture and aesthetics of the Neva people of Nepal. Inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley, the Neva people are known for their love of well-defined lines and solid, statement colours. The thangka that you see on this page is atypical of the Nevari aesthetic. It depicts the seated Shakyamuni in the bhoomisparsha stance. Gautama Buddha is clad in a peach-coloured low-wo

Lord Varaha, the third of Vishnu’s dashavataras, is the most instantly recognizable of the incarnations. The word ‘Varaha’ is Sanskrit for boar; and while some iconographies feature Varaha as a pig-shaped deity, the painting that you see on this page is of an anthropomorphic boar-headed human-bodied entity. Lord Varaha is possessed of eight arms (ashtabhujadhari) and clad in a flame-colored