A wooden book cover illustrating the death of the demon Pralamba, an illustration from a...

A wooden book cover illustrating the death of the demon Pralamba, an illustration from a Bhagavata Purana series, attributed to Bhagvan, Kulu, India, circa 1794, opaque pigments and gold and silver on paper laid down on wooden bard, the reverse with a painted floral display within a lobed cartouche, inscribed in Sharada script on a separate strip of paper along the right side and numbered 57, 13.4 x 19.7 cm.

This unusual book cover depicts an event described in the Bhagavata Purana, Canto X, ch.18 when the demon Pralamba disguises himself as one of the gopas or cowherd friends of Krishna and his brother Balarama and joins in their play. Taking part in a mock battle in which the defeated have to carry

the victors on their shoulders, Pralamba puts Balarama on his shoulders and carries him off. Realising who the demon is, Balarama hits Pralamba on his head. He is congratulated by his brother and the cowherds who are amazed at his prowess. Krishna stands with his arm around his brother.

This appears to be from the same Bhagavata Purana series as one in the National Museum, New Delhi, with a colophon stating that it was carried out in Raghunathpur in Samvat 1851/1794 in the reign of Raja Pritam Singh (Khandalavala 1958, pp. 109-110, 316, fig. 21). This can only be Raja Pritam Singh of Kulu (reg. 1767-1806) and Raghunathpur, the 'city of Raghunath' or Rama, must refer to the capital Sultanpur. The whole state was dedicated to Rama as Raghunath in the 17th century.

Other pages are in the Victoria and Albert Museum (Archer 1973, Kulu no. 36) and private collections (Skelton 1961, pls. 60-70). Bhagvan also painted a Madhumalati series dated 1799 of

which six pages are in the Mittal Museum, Hyderabad (Archer 1973, Kulu no. 37; Seyller and Mittal 2014, nos. 48-53). For other series in his style see Archer 1973, Kulu nos. 38-41.

The painting has been pasted to a wooden board for use as a bookcover and an extra strip added to the side which has the inscription in Sharada, a script normally associated with Kashmir. It seems to refer to the killing of a different demon by Krishna. Kashmiri 19th century manuscripts of Hindu

texts are normally bound codices and sometimes have painted covers, apparently the purpose of this

piece.

Literature

Archer, W.G.,' Indian Paintings from the Punjab Hills', Sotheby Parke Bernet, London and New

York, Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1973

Khandalavala, K., 'Pahari Miniature Painting', New Book Co., Bombay, 1958

Seyller, J., and Mittal, J., 'Pahari Paintings in the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art',

Hyderabad, 2014

Skelton, R., 'Indian Miniatures from the XVth to the XIXth Centuries: Catalogue of the Exhibition',

Neri Pozza Editore, Venezia, 1961

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