Johnson 51,4

Faizabad, c.1770-80.

Richard Johnson Collection. Purchased 1807.

Numbered 60 in Persian inventory note.

Gouache with gold; narrow gold border.

280 by 209 mm; page 287 by 216 mm.

With his hand upraised to hold up the mountain of Govardhan, a young Krishna protected his friends and the cows from a storm sent by the god Indra. A stone image of Krishna in this very pose was found by the Hindu sage Vallabhacharya (1479–1531) at Govardhan and enshrined there. It became the principal image of the cult that he founded, especially when it was moved to Nathdvara and installed at the local temple in 1671. This Avadhi interpretation of early Nathdvara painting depicts the celebration of the feast Annakut (mountain of food); Krishna in the form of Srinathji is presented surrounded by the svarups, other forms of Krishna of the Vallabhacharya cult, and attended by priests.

Imagery associated with Vallabhacharya worship, specifically scenes of the daily puja rituals, depict Srinathji in situ; instead of the expected traditional Hindu temple, the image is ensconced within a large mansion complex that resembles a haveli (mansion). Our artist has adopted local architectural forms for his portrayal of Srinathjiand substituted a Mughal pavilion with two small domed chhatris and painted floral patterns in place of the Nathdvara structure. In the inner courtyard the shrine is divided into two levels. All the principal images, in reality scattered around Braj, Rajasthan and Gujarat, are depictedas having been brought together in the shrine.

They are all dressed in silver chakdar jamas, the four-pointed coat that Srinathji started to wear during the reign of Akbar, and wear headdresses fashioned of cows’ ears (gokarna) and peacock feathers. In the elaborate outdoor space the shrine is also formed of two levels. In the upper level, Srinathji is surrounded by svarups (left to right) Madanmohanji, Mathureshji, Dvarkanathji and Gokulchandramaji. On the lower level are Gokulnathji, Navanitapriyaji and Vitthalnathji. On both levels priests, some bare-chested and others fully clothed, perform their rituals and arati (fire ritual) with their oil lamps. Baskets of food including rice and pan (folded betel leaves) are laid out and offered to Srinathji.

Note: The cult of Sri Nathji centres on the village of Nathdwara, near Udaipur, where a revered image of Krishna, known as Sri Nathji, is installed. For further information on the cult, ‘see’ Skelton (1961), no.13, and Skelton (1973).