JALI OVER SILVER, EACH 42 X 50 MM. PHOTO: DOMINIC THOMAS. COLLECTION OF THE AUTHOR – TAASA Review September 2021

is in response to the need for strict adherence to the qualities of the icon he is representing.

For instance, the black stone icon of Shrinathji is enlivened with the constant changing of his adornment and the pichwai (painting behind the image) which reflect his various moods and provide the settings for his diverse activities. In Rajasthan, Shrinathji of Nathdwara in the Rajsamand district is the last remaining deity to enjoy ateliers which produce miniature paintings for sale to devotees in the manner they have followed for centuries.

Shrinathji is a manifestation of Krishna and an ongoing tradition of chitra-seva or worship of a painted image ensures that the Nathdwara ateliers have flourished where others have floundered, supporting communities of chitrakaras, specialist painters of the deity’s image...