KANGRA, PUNJAB HILLS, NORTH INDIA, CIRCA 1840

This painting is an illustration from the Rukmani Harana, the abduction of Rukmani, a series which is part of the Bhagavata Purana. Rukmani, princess of the kingdom of Vidarbha, was in love with Krishna but her brother, Rukma, had arranged for her to be married to his friend and ally, Shishupala. A despairing Rukmani sent a message to Krishna to rescue her. Krishna arrived in a chariot at the Devi temple where Rukmani and her ladies went to pray and the two escaped. Krishna and Rukmani were married at Madhavpur. Here the wedding procession is depicted making its way to Dwarka where the newly-wed couple will be welcomed with great pomp.

The figures of Krishna and the attendant ladies of Rukmani find close comparison with the figures in another Kangra painting, dated to circa 1850, which depicts an intimate scene with Krishna undressing Radha. Krishna’s facial features, his head dress, jewellery details as well as those of Rukmani’s attendants in our painting are very similar to those in the illustration with Krishna and Radha. For further discussion, see Archer, 1973, Vol.I, pp.308-309, Kangra 72; Vol.II, illus.p.233.