Krishna as Shrinathji

In the 15th century, perhaps as a reaction to the increasingly ascetic direction in which Hinduism was going, there was born in Vraj, in north India, a new offset of Krishna worship called Pushtimarg, the Path of Grace. The founder, Vallabhacharya, stressed worship through the joys of life and living and devotion to Krishna as the royal child Shrinathji through kirtan (devotional poem-songs), bhog (offerings of sumptuous food and beverages), shringara (offerings of adornment, through dressing and ornamentation) and painting.

The paintings constitute the Nathdwara school, so named because the image of Shrinathji is enshrined in a temple in Nathdwara, Rajasthan. Usually with Shrinathji as their focus, these paintings evolved from several traditional and indigenous styles, from murals and miniatures, and from classical, court and rural modes; yet, they developed their own particularly vivid and lively detailing, reflecting the joyful world of Shrinathji. Introducing the readers to the visual world of the Pushtimarg as well as the spirit of Nathdwara, the splendid artworks included in this poster book showcase the high degree of skill in draughtsmanship, portraiture and in composition of the Nathdwara artists.

Drawn from the collection of renowned artist and author Amit Ambalal, this lavishly-produced special publication will be of immense interest to lovers of art and the devoted alike.