Shringara of Shrinathji

SH R I N GAR A of SH R I N ATH J I

SH R I N GAR A of SH R I N ATH J I

From the Collection of the Late Gokal Lal Mehta

196

197

Shringara of Shrinathji From the Collection o f the Late Gokal Lal Mehta

Amit Ambalal Conceptualised by Vikram Goyal

· ,;.. MAPIN "

PUBLISHING

First published in India in 202ı by Mapin Publishing 706 Kaivanna, Panchvati, Ellisbridge Ahmedabad 380006 INDIA T: +9ı 79 40 228 228 • F: +9ı 79 40 228 20ı E: mapin@mapinpub.com • www.mapinpub.com Nirvaan Design Pvt Ltd T: +9ı-99875 36030 • E: queries@viyahome.com Copyright © Text: Nirvaan Design Pvt Ltd except ‘Nathdwara Painting and the Mehta Family Collection’ by Amit Ambalal.

Copyright © Images: Nirvaan Design Pvt Ltd except image on p. ı5 © Ashok Mehta.

Copyright © Images on pp. 20 to 33: Amit Ambalal.

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No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

The moral rights of authors of this work are asserted.

ISBN: 978-93-85360-86-2 Copyediting: Mapin Editorial Design: Mapin Design Studio and Nirvaan Design Pvt Ltd Production: Mapin Design Studio Printed in China

Pages 2–3: Tilkayat Damodarji (Dauji I), detail from Pavitra Dvadashi, Shravana, Shukla ı 2th (See p. ıı4–ıı5) Pages 6–7: Tilkayat Girdharji, detail from Any day between Vaishakha, Shukla ı 4th and Ashadha, Shukla 2nd (See p. 8ı) Pages ı2–ı3: Tilkayat Damodarji (Dauji II), detail from Any day between Margashirsha, Krishna 3rd and Magha, Shukla 5th (See p. ı52) Pages ı8–ı9: Tilkayat Govindji, detail from Vamana Jayanti, Bhadrapada, Krishna ı 2th (See p. ı28) Pages 34–35: Tilkayat Girdhariji, detail from Tilkayat Girdhariji ka Utsav (birthday celebration), Jyeshtha, Shukla ı3th (See p. 74)

Contents Foreword

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by Vanmala Mehta

From the Mehta Family Chronicles

ı2

by the Late Gokal Lal Mehta

Nathdwara Painting and the Mehta Family Collection

ı8

by Amit Ambalal

•

Vitthalnathji–Gosainji: The Visionary Master

•

Shrinathji and the Sacred Images of Pushtimarg

•

The Origins

•

Bhavanas in Pushtimarg

•

A Day with Shrinathji

•

A Year at Nathdwara

•

Evolution of Art at Nathdwara

•

Paintings of the Gokal Lal Mehta Collection

Catalogue of Paintings Index of Paintings Select Mukut Samples Elements of Shringara Inner Sanctum of a Haveli Genealogy of the Tilkayats

34 ı84 ı88 ı88 ı90 ı9ı

Shringara in the month of Chaitra Tilkayat Govardhanlalji holds a fan Head dress: Tipara mukut Dress: Khule bandh ka wagha over malla kaachh Bangala of roses A chhadidaar stands on the right (On the left, front row) Mehta Udailalji and Mehta Devilalji; (back row) Mehta Fatehlalji and Mehta Pannalalji

8

H

aving grown up in a family of ardent Shrinathji followers, I could not help but feel elated when my son Vikram not only took the initiative of cataloguing our family’s rare and beautiful collection of Shrinathji paintings but also asked me to write the foreword to this book.

generously agreed to provide intellectual direction to this book in the section ‘Nathdwara Painting and the Mehta Family Collection’, notes that “art made its way into the Vaishnav faith with the founding of the Pushtimarg sect by Vallabhacharya in the early ı6th century.”

Since our childhood, my sisters Nalini, Nishajyoti and I have been intimately familiar with the rituals of the Vaishnav faith. Shrinathji, a manifestation of Lord Krishna, has always been a living presence in our lives, and for us these paintings are much more than works of art; together they form a bridge that connects us to one other, our ancestors and a common faith.

He further enumerates, “The unique aesthetic tradition of Nathdwara painting reached its zenith during Tilkayat Govardhanalalji’s tenure as Nathdwara’s head priest. As a ı6-year-old, Govardhanalalji displayed a strong and imaginative mind and took a keen interest in painting and spent much of his time with artists.

In ı880 CE, Govardhanalalji commissioned the chief artist of the temple of Nathdwara, Sukhdev Kishandas, a mammoth project of illustrating each shloka of the Bhagwad Purana. This project spanned 35 years and concluded with a total of 960 exquisite such paintings.”

The origin of our devotion to Shrinathji dates back to one of our ancestors, the late Mehta Sahab Pannalalji, former prime minister of the pre-independence state of Mewar. As expressed in my late father Shri Gokal Lal Mehta’s introductory essay to Pannalalji’s autobiography (reproduced in this book), Pannalalji had an undying faith in the deity at the Shrinathji temple of Nathdwara, a small township located forty kilometers from Udaipur, the capital of Mewar.

It is said that he attributed his success and position to the blessings of the deity, and I quote: “It may not be out of place to add here that inspired by the devotion of our family deity Shrinathji and blessings of his father the late Mehta Sahab Pannalalji, my grandfather Mehta Fatehlalji started religious-cumcharitable work including ‘Sadawart’ in that holy temple, which continued right till the latter’s demise at the end of ı956, and to continue that good work our family house on the main road near the Nathdwara temple was donated to Shrinathji by my brother Shri K.L. Mehta, I.C.S., and myself.”

Even today, no visit to Udaipur is complete without a trip to Nathdwara, a small memento purchased each time, in addition to vast amounts of prasad prepared in the hundreds of kilos by special cooks, marking the occasion and bringing a sense of ceremony to our daily pooja.

The paintings of Shrinathji embody the deep, historical association between devotion and art.

Renowned artist and scholar Amit Ambalal, who

According to Ambalal, given the timing and high quality of workmanship, our family’s collection of Shrinathji paintings was executed by the artist Sukhdev Kishandas. Ambalal suggests that Govardhanalalji gifted Pannalalji a collection of Sukhdev’s paintings in recognition of his impassioned devotion to Shrinathji and the charitable contributions made to Nathdwara.

This book catalogues these sixty miniature paintings capturing the different beautiful and imaginative adornments of Lord Shrinathji. For each of these paintings, Ambalal meticulously details the different aspects of the shringaras, including the season and day, the shringari, the head dress, ornaments, dress, and the pichhvai backdrop. In the concluding pages, a comparative snapshot of select mukuts (headgear) is detailed.

Nalini, Nishajyoti and I are grateful to Amit Ambalal, both for his scholarly wisdom and bringing an erudite quality to the text. We are thankful to Vikram for conceptualizing and editing this compendium and to Bipin Shah of Mapin Publishing for making my late father’s wishes come true. We hope that through this book you will experience not only the timeless beauty of the paintings but also the boundless faith that they inspire in Shrinathji.

Vanmala Mehta, New Delhi, 202ı

SHRINGARA OF SHRINATHJI

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Tilkayat Govardhanlalji performs aarati Head dress: Kulhe jod with gau-karna Dress: Chakdar wagha Pichhvai painted with cows (On the left) Mehta Devilalji, Mehta Fatehlalji and Mehta Pannalalji; (second from right) Mehta Udailalji

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s I sit down to write this Introduction to the autobiographical ‘notes’ left behind by my greatgrandfather, Rai Mehta Pannalalji, CIE, the then Pradhan (Prime Minister) of Mewar State, and later compiled by my father, Late Kr Devilalji Mehta, my mind is thrown back to my childhood days when we were a part of the aristocracy of Mewar, the premier state of Rajputana. Nostalgic memories of that era and the incidents connected therewith flash upon my inward eye like Wordsworth’s “Daffodils”.

Mewar was regarded as the premier state not only by the other Indian states but also by the British Government, who considered Mewar State as having a special status in view of its being the only state whose rulers never bowed personally down to the powerful Mughal sovereigns. This prompted the British to enter into a treaty of friendship with Mewar, unlike that of paramountcy with other states, as is evidenced by the inscription “Dosti-London” on the coins of Mewar.

As I said above, we belong to the feudal aristocratic order of Mewar, my family having been for generations associated with the administration of the state. There were as many as five Pradhans (Prime Ministers) of the state from amongst our direct ancestors. One of these—Mehta Sher Singhji— has been mentioned as an administrator of high standing in James Tod’s Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan. The last of these Prime Ministers was my great-grandfather, Rai Mehta Pannalalji, who held this exalted position in the reign of four successive Maharanas, starting with Maharana Swaroop Singh and ending with Maharana Fateh Singh.

Mehta Sahab, my great-grandfather, had written short, disjointed notes in the form of a diary or memoirs. My father used to tell me that my greatgrandfather wanted him to put these notes together by dictating them to my father, Late Kr. Devilalji Mehta. Unfortunately, that day never came as Mehta Sahab during his pilgrimage to Shrinathji, our family shrine at Nathdwara, breathed his last in ı9ı9. My father subsequently put the disjointed pieces together with the help of a couple of well-known chroniclers of Udaipur and left them in the form

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of a manuscript written in his own handwriting. I lost sight of this manuscript since I was moving to various stations on my posting both under the State and Central Governments as a member of the Indian Administrative Service and before that, when we lost our father in ı937, I was for five years in U.K. and Europe studying in the universities there. By sheer coincidence, the narrative ends with a short line announcing my birth on Magsar Sudi Saptami Samvat ı974 (ı7th December ı9ı7). When I could lay hands on the same again in the seventies, it was my earnest desire to show this realistically written manuscript to some eminent scholar or organisation connected with the writing of the history of Rajasthan. In this effort, fortunately I found that the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute was interested in it. I appreciate their special efforts in the publication of this manuscript.

It is very difficult for me to summarise the contents of this autobiographical narrative which, while reflecting verisimilitude, records day-to-day facts and occurrences to the minutest detail. Late Mehta Sahab was in a unique position to do so. He rose to such a high position and retained it under four rulers in spite of continuous intrigues against him and yet was instrumental in carrying out administrative reforms of a lasting nature both in the administrative and economic fields. In addition, the State Government headed by him faced successfully sporadic revolts and he managed to maintain law and order. He got unqualified support and patronage from Maharana Shambhu Singhji and, later, Maharana Sajjan Singhji, the young ruler who during his short reign himself exhibited considerable administrative acumen. The separation of the judiciary from the executive and the publication of the first regular Gazette-cum-Journal are two illustrations of the pioneering efforts of my great-grandfather and of this promising young ruler. Mehta Sahab, as the principal adviser of the Maharana, could achieve all this by the tactful way in which he handled his triangular duties—loyalty to the Maharana, coordination with the British Political Department and bringing about the good of the people of the state, which was dearest to his heart. In doing so, he had to suffer the vicissitudes

Portrait of Rai Mehta Pannalalji by Raja Ravi Varma

SHRINGARA OF SHRINATHJI

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Portrait of Rai Mehta Pannalalji with family by Pannalal Sharma 16

of fortune, having had to face court displeasure, exile and even an attempt on his life prompted by a zenana palace intrigue.

It may not be out of place to add here that inspired by the devotion of our family deity Shrinathji and blessings of his father Late Mehta Sahab Pannalalji, my grandfather Mehta Fatehlalji started religiouscum-charitable work including “Sadawart” in that holy temple, which continued right till the latter’s demise at the end of ı956, and to continue that good work our family house on the main road near the Nathdwara temple was donated to Shrinathji by my brother Shri K.L. Mehta, I.C.S., and myself.

Similarly, my grandfather, under the guidance of his friend and mentor the famous Bhartendu Babu Harishchandraji, started a Hindi-medium school in the main Bara Bazar of Udaipur, which continued under the supervision of my father Kr. Devilalji Mehta for several decades and later right till Independence. Under the guidance of Bhartendu Babu, Mehta Fatehlalji was also associated with the Nagari Pracharani Sabha in Banaras and continued to work for it in Mewar. It will perhaps be no exaggeration to add that the encouragement to Hindi language and giving a fillip to its use enunciated by Bhartendu Babu should be considered as Kr. Fatehlalji Mehta’s contribution in what can be termed as the dawn of the period of popularising Devanagari, particularly in Rajputana states where largely Urdu and Persian were used as court languages. Mehta Fatehlalji also sponsored the Pratap Sabha, which did pioneering work, among other cultural activities, on the life and times of the well-known Maharana Pratap and on the history of Mewar in general. Ultimately, upon his death, the above-mentioned school was handed over by us to the Pratap Sabha.

My grandfather and my father also built up a very good library of a few thousand books (considered next only to the Maharana’s library) consisting

mainly of manuscripts and several rare books on the Princely States, their origin, culture and history as also their relationship with the Government at the Centre and the Indian states among themselves.

This was accessible to students and scholars all over Mewar and Rajputana. In his memory, this library was donated by us to the State Library called Saraswati Bhandar after Independence. An operation theatre was built in their memory and donated to the General Government Hospital at Udaipur, having been inaugurated by the former Chief Minister of Rajasthan Shri Mohan Lal Sukhadia.

I need say no more as I do not wish to blow the trumpet of my ancestor whose multifaceted personality and ability will be clear to all those who read the manuscript when published through the good offices of Dr. P.D. Pathak, Director, Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute, Jodhpur, under the guidance of Shri P.N. Bahl, Secretary to Rajasthan Government, Department of Culture.

I cannot, however, resist the temptation of repeating in the present context Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s quotation of the poet Swinburne, referred to in the chapter “My Father and Gandhiji” in Nehru’s autobiography: “Have we not Men with us Royal Men, the masters of things” —Swinburne A further detailed synopsis of the publication has been given by the Asstt. Director, Shri Onkar Lal Menaria, who has taken considerable pains in going through the manuscripts and annotating them. A special word of appreciation is also due to the famous historian and Chairman of University Grants Commission Prof. Satish Chandra for having written a preface to this publication.

G.L. Mehta

SHRINGARA OF SHRINATHJI

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Vitthalnathji–Gosainji: The Visionary Master “Sahib kaise mile?”—“How can one meet Sahib (God)?” The legend goes that when Emperor Akbar posed this question to his favourite courtier, Birbal, it left him dumbfounded. Birbal approached many learned pundits and saints but failed to come up with an answer that could satisfy the emperor.

When Birbal’s daughter came to know of her father’s plight, she said that the only person who could give a satisfactory answer to the Emperor’s question was her guru, Shri Vitthalnathji (ı5ı6– ı586 CE). Birbal left immediately for Gokul to meet the great guru and placed his problem before him. Vitthalnathji smiled and said that he would give an answer, but only to the Emperor, and that too, in person. Birbal arranged a meeting between the two great men in Gokul. Akbar asked the guru, “Sahib kaise mile?” Vitthalnathji replied, “Jaise mile aap.”—“The same way you have met me today.” The Emperor was mystified by the guru’s response. Vitthalnathji then revealed,

Vitthalnathji Watercolour on paper, ı5 x ı3 cm c. ı840 CE, Nathdwara Collection of Amit Ambalal

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“Had I made a thousand attempts to meet Your Majesty, none of them would have succeeded.

But when you, Sire, thought of meeting me, it became possible instantly. It is the same with a human soul wishing to reach the Almighty. Such a meeting can only become possible if divine grace is extended to him.”

Vitthalnathji was the second son of Vallabhacharya, the founder of the Pushtimarg sect. He became the chief of the sect after the premature death of his elder brother, Gopinath.

One of his most notable contributions to Pushtimarg is the introduction of an elaborate seva.

With his refined sense of aesthetics, he enriched the seva by infusing elements of raga, musical modes expressed through music, poetry and dance; bhoga, offerings of sumptuous food; and shringara, adornment; and thus made it an essential part of the sect’s practices. His proximity to the

and aesthetics. The shringara he offered Shrinathji on his own birthday—Gosainji ka Utsav—makes this clear. On that day (Pausha Krishna 9), he dressed Shrinathji in a kulhe, turban, chakdar jama, suthana and moja, resembling the court costume that Vitthalnathji himself wore during his meeting with the Emperor.

Mughal court was well known. The literature of Pushtimarg states that Emperor Akbar never missed an opportunity to meet Vitthalnathji at Gokula and always did so when he visited nearby Mathura. Vitthalnathji infused elements of the highly evolved Mughal sensibilities into his seva and thus balanced the delicate equation of politics

Vitthalnathji showed wisdom by making arrangements for a smooth succession after him. The partition of assets amongst his seven sons involved distribution of the most sacred images of Krishna that were objects of veneration since Vallabhacharya’s time. Thus, the seven main centres of Pushtimarg came into existence with the formal installation of these svarupas in havelis located in different parts of the country. These seven svarupas are: Mathureshji at Kotah, Vitthalnathji at Nathdwara, Dvarkadhishji at Kankroli, Gokulanathji at Gokula, Gokulchandramaji and Madanamohanji at Kamabana, Balakrishnaji at Surat. All his sons had the right to worship the images of Shrinathji and Navanitpriyaji, which are considered to be of equal importance; but their care was entrusted to Girdharji, his eldest son. The goswami in charge of Shrinathji and Navanitpriyaji is known, even today, as a Tilkayat.

Shrinathji and the Sacred Images of Pushtimarg

Gosainji ka Utsava Watercolour on paper, 20.5 x ı4 cm c. ı820 CE, Nathdwara Collection of Amit Ambalal

Shrinathji (the Lord of Shri, goddess of beauty and prosperity), enshrined at Nathdwara, is the most important svarupa in Pushtimarg. He is a manifestation of Krishna as a seven-year-old.

Shrinathji is depicted with his left arm held above his head in the act of lifting Mount Govardhana, while his right hand rests on his waist. The image is about ı.37 m high in relief on a rectangular stele.

The entire stele that frames the image represents Mount Govardhana, and several other forms can also be seen on it. There is a parrot near the top centre with a sage seated near it, on the left corner of the stele. Near Shrinathji’s left hand, two sages can be seen in postures of meditation.

Below them is a snake with a spread hood, while another figure resembling a tiger, identified as

Narasimhaji, is seen below the snake. Beneath the tiger are two peacocks. Also seen on the left, below the sage, are a ram, a snake and two cows, all evidently inhabitants of Mount Govardhana. They are represented as watching Shrinathji reverently.

There are numerous explanations of these forms on the stele, and scholars differ regarding the details.

There are certain small images placed near Shrinathji in the sanctum at Nathdwara. These are known as Gaud ke Thakurji, “images of the lap”, and are kept near the main image. On Shrinathji’s left are two tiny metal images, one of Madanamohanji, a standing, fluting Krishna image, which was once presented to Achyutadasa, a Gauda Brahmin, by Vallabhacharya himself.

SHRINGARA OF SHRINATHJI

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Beginning of Hindola Mahotsava, Shravana, Krishna 2nd Shringari: Tilkayat Govardhanlalji (ı862–ı934 CE) Head dress: Pagh with katra Ear ornament: Dohera karnaphul Dress: Pichhoda Pichhvai: Red with golden stripes

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Any day between Margashirsha, Krishna 3rd and Magha, Shukla 5th Shringara dedicated to Tilkayat Dauji II (ı797–ı826 CE) Head dress: Pagh with mor chandrika Ear ornament: Karnaphul Dress: Gherdaar wagha of chhint (roller print on cotton) Pichhvai: Chhint (roller print on cotton)

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Select Mukut Samples

M ot

Tipara

i ka Sehra

Kh ala unt k a Dh u m

Pa gh wi

a rik th Chand

Elements of Shringara Kulhe pagh–morpinchh jod and Chakdar wagha Shringara, Janmashtami

Kamal Chhadi

Morpinchh Jod Kulhe Pagh

Nakvesar

Mukut and Kaachhani Shringara, Gopashtami

Kada

Shishphul

Hansali

Mukut

Bajubandh Bansari

Shirpech

Mayurakruti Kundal

Chakdar Vastra Kamal (Wagha) Mala Chhadi 188

Vanmala

Nupur Patka

Patka

Chibuk

Baagh nakh Kaachhani Choti

Dohe

r a Ka t r a

ra Pa g

at

e Ph ta

K ni a h wi h th Nagp

Pag h with Khup

Tipara and Malla kaachh Shringara, Tilkayat Govardhanlalji ka Utsav (Birthday) Chandrika Shirpech

Katra

Kulhe Jod

Pagh and Pichhoda Shringara, Summertime

Tipara

Mor chandrika Shirpech

Pagh

Karnaphul

Tilaka

Patka

Malla kaachh

Patka

Chhadi

Pichhoda 189

Inner Sanctum of a Haveli

Dhwaja Sudarshan Chakra Kalasha

Chandova

Pichhvai Thada Vastra

Chandrika

Tilaka

Pagh

Vesar

Venu

Karnaphul

Aarati

Chibuk Malas Fatvi Gherdaar wagha Morchhal

Kadaa

Vetra Jhari Banta

Madanamohanji Balakrishnaji

Mahaprabhuji ki Charanpaduka

190

Charan chowki Padadhi

Moja

Simhasana

Takiya Suthana

Genealogy of the Tilkayats Vallabhacharya (1479–1531)

Gopinathji (1512–1564)

Vitthalnathji (Gosainji) (1516–1586)

Purushottamji (1531–1551)

Govindarayji (1543)

Girdharji (1541–1621)

Gokulnathji (1552)

Balakrishnaji (1546)

Raghunathji (1555)

Yadunathji (1559)

Ghanshyamji (1572)

Damodarji (1576–1640)

Muralidharji (1574)

Vitthalrayji (1601–1655)

(He was appointed in the court of Emperor Akbar.)

Lal Girdharji (1633–1667) Damodarji (Bade Dauji, 1655–1704)

(Damodarji brought the image of Shrinathji from Mount Govardhana to Nathdwara in 1672.)

Vitthaleshrayji (1687–1717) Govindji (1729–1774)

Govardhaneshji (1707–1763) (Since he died childless, his brother Govindji succeeded him to the Tilkayat position.)

Girdharji (1769–1807) Damodarji, Dauji II (Dauji Chhappanbhogvale) (1797–1826) Govindji (1821–1844) Girdhariji (1843–1903)

(Govindji was adopted from the second house of Govindrayji in 1833.)

(He was exiled from Nathdwara in 1877.)

Govardhanlalji (1862–1934) Damodarlalji (1897–1936) Govindlalji (1928–1995) Dauji III (1948–2000)

Bhupesh Kumarji (b. 1981)

Indradamanji (b. 1950)

SHRINGARA OF SHRINATHJI

191

Amit Ambalal is an eminent contemporary Indian artist whose work forms part of prestigious collections in India and abroad, including the British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

He has also authored the landmark volume Krishna as Shrinathji: Rajasthani Paintings from Nathdvara (Mapin, ı987) on the subject of Pushtimarg and Nathdwara paintings and recently written the Foreword to In the Service of Krishna (Mapin, 20ı9).

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Vikram Goyal, founder of Viya Home and Vikram Goyal Studio, is one of India’s leading product designers, committed to the preservation of indigenous practices and the country’s cultural heritage. Recipient of multiple design awards, he is also co-founder of Kama Ayurveda, a wellness brand dedicated to promoting the unique benefits of Ayurveda. Goyal is the eldest grandchild of the late Gokal Lal Mehta, whose collection is featured in this book.

ART

Shringara of Shrinathji From the Collection of Shri Gokal Lal Mehta Amit Ambalal Conceptualised by Vikram Goyal

192 pages 77 photographs and 5 drawings 11 x 14” (279 x 355 mm), boxed edition ISBN: 978-93-85360-86-2 ₹9500 | $295 | £150 Fall 2021 | World rights