An Illustration to the Rasikapriya of Keshav Das

The fiercely independent rulers of the state of Mewar withstood the military onslaughts of the Mughals until 1615. Though conquered by the Muslims, they were allowed considerable political and cultural autonomy. During the seventeenth century, an innovative painting style evolved at the capital city of Udaipur that was barely influenced by Mughal court taste. Rajput literary and musical themes, like the ragamalas, the Gita Govinda, and Bhagavata Purana, dominated early Mewar painting. In this scene, a woman converses with her beloved in a pavilion topped with domed kiosks. In the bedchamber to the left, an attendant awaits the couple with a fly whisk over her shoulder. In such a configuration, the figures most likely represent the Vairari Ragini, a female musical mode from a ragamala series based on classical Indian melodies.