Add Or 4304

f.3 The Harihar Chattar ‘mela’ at Sonpur, viewed from the garden of Sir Charles D’Oyly’s bungalow on the east bank of the Gandak opposite Patna, the foreground thronged with people, numerous boats and barges on the river, the temple of Mahadeva on the opposite bank with a large encampment, and beyond the Ganges thronged with bathers.

By the Patna artist, Shiv Dayal (Seo Dial), c.1820-21.

Inscribed on back in handwriting of Lady D’Oyly: ‘By Seu Dial’.

Water-colour; 215 by 343 mm (lower right corner missing).

Note: Another version is in the Hastings Collection, see Add.Or.4926, and a third in the V & A (I.S. 63-1964). Shiv Dayal is known from other drawings and also lithographs in the ‘Behar Amateur Lithographic Scrapbooks’ to have worked for Sir Charles D’Oyly throughout his Patna years.

The ‘mela’ in honour of Hariharanath Mahadeva takes place annually at the full moon in Karttika at the Mahadeva temple at Sonepur at the confluence of the Ganges and the Gandak. In addition to its religious aspects, it used to be a great social gathering of Europeans who attended the horse and elephant sales. Visitors used to pitch their tents in the D’Oylys’ garden and went across the river each day to the fair. Many of the boats on the river are flying the Red Ensign, while the principal budgerow has two Europeans seated on the deck, possibly the artist’s patrons.