Topic: Holy Men & Women, and the Beings Who Visit Them

[Nichi]

Female Ascetics (Yoginis)
India, Rajasthan, Bikaner, circa 1730-1740
Drawings; watercolors



https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Female_Ascetics_%28Yoginis%29_LACMA_M.2011.156.4_%281_of_2%29.jpg

[Nichi]

Alas, the image is excruciatingly small. But a rarity it is, nonetheless.



A painting of a Vaishnava Yogi
India, Company School, mid 19th century
The ascetic standing against a hilly landscape, holding a spear, his skin half brown and half blue, wearing a red dhoti, pearl jewelry and a turban.
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/a-painting-of-a-vaishnava-yogi-india-5417152-details.aspx

[Nichi]

Rajput warrior visiting female devotee with attendant. Mughal dynasty, c.1700, India.

[Nichi]

Woman visiting hermit playing vina with attendant and dog. On paper. Mughal style, Islamic period, late 18th century, India.

[Nichi]

An Illustrated and Illuminated Album Page: A group of noblewomen visiting a hermitage, attributed to Dalchand, Mughal, circa 1720-40, with calligraphy signed by Khalilallah

Best view in the attachment. (Click and enlarge.)

[Nichi]

Walking Vaishnava Disciples, Late 18th century, India (Rajasthan, Kishangarh), Brush and black ink and watercolor over traces of charcoal on beige laid paper, Philadelphia Museum of Art

(Don't know what the story is with the hat!)

[Nichi]

A girl as an ascetic performing penances with two attendants outside an ashram. A possible Ragamala illustration to the musical mode Devagandhari Ragini. Deccan?, India or Machilipatnam, India. Date ca. 1780.

Best view (click and enlarge): http://media.vam.ac.uk/collections/img/2013/GK/2013GK1480_2500.jpg

(Smiling about the redheaded ascetics, though no doubt it was henna that made it so.)

[Michael]

Rajput warrior visiting female devotee with attendant. Mughal dynasty, c.1700, India.

That's beautiful.

[Nichi]

Devghandar Ragini (?)

A female yogini (ascetic) is seated on a deer-skin under a mango tree by a river. Though she is wearing a saffron lower garment, she is also wearing elaborate ornaments. She has a white garland around her neck. A large white bundle together with a crook can be seen on the ground beside her. The painting portrays the musical mode Gujari Ragini from a Ragamala series. Place of Origin Murshidabad, India.

Best view (click and enlarge): http://media.vam.ac.uk/collections/img/2014/HC/2014HC2467_2500.jpg




Femme ascère ou yogini. Vers 1760-1770. Ecole de Murshidabad.

All 3 images close to identical, but all with differing identities given by the artists.

[Nichi]

Vaishnav Mughal Sadhvi

It's so unusual to find the Vaishnavite ascetics, I snag them when I see them.


(Best view in attachment: click and enlarge.)

[Nichi]

Two female ascetics seated on animal skins, the traditional seat of holy men and women. The dark shading and sombre colouring are typical of painting in the Mughal province of Murshidabad in the mid-18th century.

Click and enlarge for best view: http://media.vam.ac.uk/collections/img/2013/GD/2013GD6666_2500.jpg

[Nichi]

Emperor Akbar with musician Tansen before Tansen's guru Haridas. Mughal at Delhi, circa late 18th century.

http://www.indianminiaturepaintings.co.uk/Delhi_Akbar_Tansen_Haridas_16312.html

Emperor Akbar once asked one of his Navaratnas (nine jewels of his court), his favourite musician Haridas, if there was a better singer than him. Haridas replied there was but one, his guru, Haridas. Akbar ordered that Tansen bring Haridas to him to perform, but Tansen replied that Haridas would only sing to god and not to Akbar, even though he was emperor. Hearing this Akbar said they must visit Haridas with himself disguised as Tansen's attendant, so that he might hear Haridas sing. When they did so Akbar was entranced to the point of blissfulness. ~Peter Blohm

[Nichi]

A group of women meeting with a yogi, Lucknow, c.1750

[Nichi]

Ibrahim Adham Visted by Two Angels. India, Oudh, mid-18th Century. Depicting the ascetic, Ibrahim Adham, meditating before a fire in a landscape under moonlight, the angels standing before him bearing gifts.

[Nichi]

Ibrahim ibn Adham. Modèles d'écriture ornés de Portraits et Costumes, de Prophètes et autres personnages Indiens et Persans : peinture Date d'édition : 1605-1770