Stories form the epic Ramayana are popular with the artists of Mithila. It holds special importance for them as Sita, one of the major protagonist of the epic, belonged to their land.
The artist here wants to narrate too many incidents but faces representational confusion. The upper portion of the canvas depicts two unrelated incidents in rigid compartments. The lower half has similarly unrelated incidents but merging with each other. The story, as the artist wants to depict is that there was a terrible drought in Mithila and it was suggested that if the king ploughed the field himself, the rain gods would be pleased. While ploughing, he finds an urn with a baby girl placed inside. He and his wife are very pleased. One day king Janaka finds her lifting the bow of Shiva while cleaning the floor. He realizes that she is no ordinary girl. He arranges to marry her to the mightiest of the mighty. The lower right half of the panel show Rama and Lakshmana in the same bower as Sita and her friends. A disconnected yet simple narration.
This description by Renu Rana.
Peintures
heures depuis 2nd Oct, 2008
