MAHARAJA TAKHT SINGH OF JODHPUR PAYING RESPECT TO BAHUCHARA MATA
Jodhpur School, Rajasthan, North-Western India, late 19th century

Opaque pigments, gold and silver on paper, the vertical composition depicting Takht Singh, ruler of Jodhpur (1843 - 1873), paying homage to the Hindu goddess of chastity and fertility, and patroness of the hijra community (a community of transgender women and intersex individuals), Bahuchara Mata, portrayed on her vahana (vehicle), a large white cockerel with a red head, symbolising innocence, the deity holding a sword, her typical attribute, and a small white ewer, the scene set on a terrace of a palatial complex, lush vegetation surrounding the architecture, the sky lit by flashes of lightning and suggesting the arrival of Monsoon rain, framed within blue rules, and silver and bright red borders, 32.2cm x 27cm.