THE WORSHIP OF MATHURESHJI

A saffron-clad royal couple stand to the left and right of the icon of Mathureshji. He performs arati as she holds a gold stemmed fan, on a striking black and white checkerboard-design tile floor rising vertically up the frontal plane of the composition. Traditionally Mathureshji holds his ayudhas, conch, lotus, mace and discus in each hand.  He stands within his black curved niche, surrounded by an architectural “temple” of lotus petals within a white floral motif backdrop, all encased by gold ruled lines.

It is highly unusual, if not rare, to find examples of Kishangarh style paintings depicting this subject so clearly identifiable as in the present painting. Images related to the worship of Sri Nath Ji (and related icons) most often being from Nathdwara (also less often Kotah). Here the extremely elongated almond-shaped eyes and sharply pointed profiles of the couple strikingly personify the famous archetypal Kishangarhi lovers Maharaja Savant Singh (1748-64) and Bani Thani. The present elegant couple likely being the patrons or donors of the work depicted here performing devotional rituals.

For further reference see Amit Ambalal, Krishna as Shrinathji, New York, 1987.