This beautiful vintage paper thin shrine print is of the well known Hindu God, Krishna. As a toddler among the cowherd tribe of Vraja, Krishna was charming but cheeky and mischievous. In the post-Independence period, when India was itself a newborn nation, images of baby forms of the Gods - especially of baby Krishna - became increasingly popular. Here young Krishna is cuddling a cow with his iconic peacock feathers and pan flute. In mythology the sacredness of cow is due to Lord Krishna. After the birth of Krishna he was given to a herdsman's family to be protected from a threatening murder. And as cowherd he spent much time with animals. He grew up with the herdsman's family, the milkmaids (called Gopis) and the cows and was nourished by them. Thereby cow equals a status like a mother and it is essential to venerate her. Thus Lord Krishna said: "Where agriculture and animals are worshipped there will be no affliction."
Size: 20" x 16"
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, tattered torn edges and rips that come with daily use and age. Please check the photos for more details.
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