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Lot Essay
Rich with colour and movement, this painting depicts the festival of Nandmahotsav. The festival is intended to re-enact the celebration thrown by Nanda upon bringing his foster-son Krishna home to Vraj. In the Pushtimarg a priest will dress as Nanda for the occasion, donning a white beard and moustache, and shakes a golden rattle while the cradle containing the swarup (deity) is rocked by another attendant dressed as Yashoda. In our painting both are seated to the left below the cradle. It is then traditional for the temple attendants to dress as gopis and gopas and dance around musicians, all whilst throwing milk and curd coloured with turmeric. Nandmahotsava occurs the day after Krishna's birthday, Janmashtami, and therefore we still see the golden gifts in front of the swarup's cradle. As is traditional for Janmashtami, the swarup is dressed in saffron robes and bedecked with jewellery whilst the colour of the pichhvai is red (Ambalal 1987, p.28). A similar depiction of Nandmahotsava can be found on a pichhvai for the festival dated circa 1900 from the collection of Anil Relia (Relia 2013, pp. 58-59).
Two other paintings on cloth of near identical dimensions show different festivals at the same shrine. One was sold at Sotheby's New York, 1 April 2005, lot 122 and the other in these Rooms, 23 September 2005, lot 159. All three show a similar large courtyard with an arcade at the far end decorated with imitation palm tree columns and European glass lamps hanging above. However, our painting seems unique with the addition of the orange canopy erected above the courtyard and suspending a vast glass chandelier. The present lot and the two other paintings have previously been attributed to Nathdwara but this cannot be the location of the scene because the swarupa shown is not Sri Nathji or Navanitpriyaji, both of which are housed in the haveli in Nathdwara. It is most likely to depict Dvarkhadhishji which is housed in a large haveli in Kankroli, nearby to Nathdwara in Mewar (for a painting of the worship of Dvarkadhishji in Kankroli, circa 1880, see Cleveland Museum of Art, 2001.161). The haveli at Kankroli has a large open courtyard which accords with what is depicted here.
If the painting depicts the haveli at Kankroli, rather than Nathdwara, then the figure sat to the right of Dvarkhadhishji in orange would be Balkrishnalalji (1868-1917), the Tilkayat (head priest) of Kankroli. The profile of Balkrishnalalji is consistent with other known portraits including a painting showing Balkrishnalalji with Tilkayat Govardhanlal in Nathdwara, dated circa 1904, which is in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv.no. RP-T-1993-413). Another painting of Balkrishnalalji in a procession from the collection of Anil Relia is dated slightly earlier to 1880 and, although the portrait is a three-quarter view, the Tilkayat appears closer in age to the present lot (Soni 2016, pp.92-93). It is notable in the Anil Relia painting of Balkrishnalalji, who is riding a horse, that the attendants in his entourage bear similarity to the figures populating the crowd in the present lot further suggesting a similar dating. Despite the importance of Dvarkadhishji, paintings of the swarup are rare compared to the number of images of Shri Nathji and representations of the haveli at Kankroli are even rarer.
Two other paintings on cloth of near identical dimensions show different festivals at the same shrine. One was sold at Sotheby's New York, 1 April 2005, lot 122 and the other in these Rooms, 23 September 2005, lot 159. All three show a similar large courtyard with an arcade at the far end decorated with imitation palm tree columns and European glass lamps hanging above. However, our painting seems unique with the addition of the orange canopy erected above the courtyard and suspending a vast glass chandelier. The present lot and the two other paintings have previously been attributed to Nathdwara but this cannot be the location of the scene because the swarupa shown is not Sri Nathji or Navanitpriyaji, both of which are housed in the haveli in Nathdwara. It is most likely to depict Dvarkhadhishji which is housed in a large haveli in Kankroli, nearby to Nathdwara in Mewar (for a painting of the worship of Dvarkadhishji in Kankroli, circa 1880, see Cleveland Museum of Art, 2001.161). The haveli at Kankroli has a large open courtyard which accords with what is depicted here.
If the painting depicts the haveli at Kankroli, rather than Nathdwara, then the figure sat to the right of Dvarkhadhishji in orange would be Balkrishnalalji (1868-1917), the Tilkayat (head priest) of Kankroli. The profile of Balkrishnalalji is consistent with other known portraits including a painting showing Balkrishnalalji with Tilkayat Govardhanlal in Nathdwara, dated circa 1904, which is in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv.no. RP-T-1993-413). Another painting of Balkrishnalalji in a procession from the collection of Anil Relia is dated slightly earlier to 1880 and, although the portrait is a three-quarter view, the Tilkayat appears closer in age to the present lot (Soni 2016, pp.92-93). It is notable in the Anil Relia painting of Balkrishnalalji, who is riding a horse, that the attendants in his entourage bear similarity to the figures populating the crowd in the present lot further suggesting a similar dating. Despite the importance of Dvarkadhishji, paintings of the swarup are rare compared to the number of images of Shri Nathji and representations of the haveli at Kankroli are even rarer.