Todi Ragini (painting, recto), from a Ragamala (Garland of Melodies) Series

The Todi Ragini, sung as an evocation of both tenderness and sadness, is visually represented by a young heroine (nayika) in a forest separated from her lover. In this painting, she carries a veena, most likely a ‘Rudra veena,’ which is a stringed instrument consisting of two large equal size tumba (resonators) below a stick zither. This instrument is played by laying it slanting with one gourd on a knee and the other above the shoulder. Her melodious tunes have attracted a bevy of deer, including black buck deer, which are a typical feature in representations of the Todi Ragini. In the distance is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, who is depicted seated on a tiger skin with a trident and serpent in his hands. From his matted hair emerge the river Ganges, signifying that the form of Shiva depicted here is the Gangadhara Shiva. A female devotee worships at the temple. The lush greenery and trees suggest the setting to be that of a forest. This painting is a pictorial metaphor for a raga, a musical phrase that is used as the basis for improvisation, possibly belonging to a Ragamala or “Garland of melodies” which was produced at the Mewar court in the late seventeenth century. Another painting from the same series is 1931.16, 1931.17, 1931.18, 1931.19 and 1932.32. Rajput, Rajasthani, Mewar School.