This beautiful vintage paper thin shrine print is of the well known Hindu God Shiva.
The sage Bhagiratha performed great austerities to bring the river Ganges, which used to flow in heaven, down to earth in order to alleviate a worldwide drought and to consecrate the ashes of his ancestors. The danger was that the descent of this awesome river might destroy the entire earth, and so shiva generously offered to break its fall by catching it in his hair. Shiva stands as a stalwart figure here at the Ganges, seen as a female deity, falls from the sky. Bhagiratha stands in the foreground, as does Parvati (his wife), who is often jealous of the other woman who inhabits Shiva's hair.
Size: A4 (8.27" × 11.69")
It is important to understand that these are not just images of Gods; they are Gods - Gods incarnate in their printed image. During puja (worship) the Gods are invited to descend into their images and are treated as guests. Offerings of fruit, flowers, and sweets are placed before these prints, prayers chanted to them, incense burned before them, and garlands of marigolds are hung around their frames.
This print has gone through many monsoons (with months of humidity), so it may have some staining and discoloration, along with some marks, that come with daily use and age.
In the period following independence in 1947 in India, the religious print business in India grew dramatically in its scale and diversity. All the prints I import from India are from this era and are a lot more colorful and bold in comparison to the very early prints in the late 1800's.
*Price includes free postage to anywhere in the UK.*
*ALL INTERNATIONAL ORDERS SENT TRACKED AND SIGNED