Shahaji (1602-1664)
Shahaji (1602-1664) Size: 19.25 x 14.6 in (48.9 x 37.1 cm) Date of printing: 1880s-1890s Shivaji’s father, Shahaji Bhonsle, served the Ahmadnagar and Bijapur Sultanates in Deccan and the Mughal Empire at different points in his life. As a member of the Bhonsle clan, he had inherited the Pune and Supe (Baramati district) fiefs. This […]
Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630-1680)
Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630-1680) Size: 19.4 x 14.6 in (49.3 x 37.1 cm) Date of printing: 1880s-1890s One of the most iconic known warriors of the Maratha Empire, Shivaji Bhonsle was a member of the famous Bhonsle Maratha clan. He was named after a local deity, the goddess Shivai. He was born to Shahaji […]
Shri Samarth Ramdas (1608-1681)
Shri Samarth Ramdas (1608-1681) Size: 19.9 x 14.9 in (50.5 x 37.8 cm) Date of printing: early 1880s In the late 1870s and early 1880s, the very first large format (20 x 15 in) chromolithographs printed by Chiplunkar before hisdeath, were quietly but deliberately militant. Their first prints, and major commercial successes, were thus designed […]
Shri Dattatreya
Shri Dattatreya Size: 17.6 x 13.6 in (44.7 x 34.5 cm) Date of printing: 1880s The three headed monk is considered to be an avatar of the three Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He was especially venerated in Maharashtra and known for his skills as a yoga guru. He is dressed as a simple […]
Saraswati (Sayamsandhya)
Saraswati (Sayamsandhya) Size: 19.4 x 14.8 in (49.3 x 37.6 cm) Date of printing: 1880s This magnificent portrait of the goddess Saraswati was considered very innovative in its time. It was the first time that an artist depicted Garuda in a naturalistic way. Classical art had always presented the vahana of Vishnu as a bird […]
Khandoba
Khandoba Size 19.7 x 15 in (50 x 38.1 cm) Date of printing: 1880s Revered in the Deccan plateau of central India, Khandoba is a local form of Bhairava, the fierce manifestation of Shiva. He is the most popular family deity in Maharashtra and became the main fighting hero for 19th century Maratha anti-colonialist rebels. […]
Shri Shankar
Shri Shankar Size: 19.8 x 14.8 in (50.3 x 37.6 cm) Artist: Balkrishna Joshi Date of printing: 1878 This chromolithograph is of prime importance as for the first time gods were painted like normal upper class men and women. Shiva-Shankar, his wife Parvati and their son Ganesha with an elephant head look like a simple […]
Shri Vitthal (Pandharpur)
Shri Vitthal (Pandharpur) Size: 15.25 x 10 in (38.7 x 25.4 cm) Date of printing: 1900s-1920s Vitthal (or Vithoba) and his wife Rakhumai are predominantly worshipped in the state of Maharashtra. Considered as manifestations of Krishna and Rukmini, they are always shown standing arms-akimbo (arms bent at the elbows with the hands on the hips).
Gayatri
Gayatri Size: 20 x 14 in (45.7 x 33.8 cm) Date of printing: 1880s-1890s Goddess Gayatri has five faces (Saraswati, two Parvati, and two Lakshmi) and ten arms holding weapons attributed to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. She personifies the Vedic Gayatri Mantra and is the feminine form of the Vedic Solar god.
Savitri (Madhyanh Sandhya)
Savitri (Madhyanh Sandhya) Size: 18.7 x 14 in (47.5 x 35.6 cm) Date of printing: 1880s -1890s Sandhyavandanam is a salutation to the Devi made during dusk, noon and dawn. This mandatory religious ritual, performed thricea day, is considered as a path to attain salvation (moksha). In this tradition, Savitri (or Rudrani) is the name […]