Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, circa 1800

The inscription of the verso reads "...Ayas ji Shri Govind Nath ji maharaj," indicating he is a kanphata yogi from the nath sect. Kanphata yogis, also called Gorakhnathi and Nathapanthi, are followers of Guru Gorakshanath, an influential founder of the Nath Hindu monastic movement who lived in the early eleventh century. Kanphata yogis are so named for the large earrings they wear (kanphata means "ear-split"), and their practice emphasizes the acquisition of supernatural powers, borrowing elements of mysticism and magic from Shaivite and Buddhist esoteric systems, as well as hatha yoga.