Hanuman Brings the Mountain of Healing Plants; Rama Extracts the Arrow from Lakshmana as Hanuman and a Bear Prepare to Treat Him (recto), from a Romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati of Upendra Bhanja (Indian, died 1740)

This narrow hand‑scroll painting, executed in fine black ink on aged paper, illustrates a scene from the Odia romance of Chandrabhanu and Lavanyavati, attributed to the 18th‑century poet Upendra Bhanja. The composition is densely populated with miniature figures, animals, and architectural elements, all rendered in swift, precise line work that fills the elongated format.

The narrative juxtaposes two episodes: on the left, the hero Rama extracts an arrow from his brother Lakshmana while attendants, including the monkey deity Hanuman and a bear, prepare medicinal herbs; on the right, Hanuman is shown bearing a massive mountain of healing plants, a motif linked to the epic episode of retrieving the Sanjeevani herb for an ailing warrior.

Rendered entirely in black ink, the artist employs a linear, calligraphic approach characteristic of Indian miniature scrolls. The figures are rendered in profile with exaggerated gestures, and the crowded margins contain stylised trees, buildings and fantastical creatures, creating a continuous visual narrative that guides the eye across the scroll.

The scene draws on the Ramayana tradition, where Hanuman’s retrieval of the Sanjeevani mountain is celebrated as an act of devotion and healing. By integrating this episode with a local romance, the artist reflects the syncretic storytelling practices of regional courts, where Sanskrit epics were adapted into vernacular literary forms.