Artwork
Women Worshipping a Shiva Linga: Devagandhari Ragini of Hindol, from a Chamba Ragamala
Women Worshipping a Shiva Linga: Devagandhari Ragini of Hindol, from a Chamba Ragamala is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1700 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Women Worshipping a Shiva Linga: Devagandhari Ragini of Hindol is a painted panel from a Chamba ragamala.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a group of women engaged in the worship of a Shiva Linga, as indicated by its title.
The painting depicts a group of women engaged in the worship of a Shiva Linga, as indicated by its title. As a visual representation of the Devagandhari Ragini within the Hindol raga of a Chamba Ragamala series, the work embodies the devotional and emotive qualities associated with that musical mode. By linking music, devotion, and iconography, the image conveys the spiritual mood that the ragini personifies, illustrating how Ragamala paintings served to visualize the affective character of specific ragas.
History & Provenance
Created in the year 1700 within the Chamba State, this painting depicts the Devagandhari Ragini of the Hindol series. The work was executed by an artist whose specific identity remains unrecorded in available documentation. Currently, the piece is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 2018.87.
The museum lists the work's inception date as January 1, 1700, aligning with the broader historical attribution to the early eighteenth century.
The painting is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is recorded as accession number 2018.87. It was made in the Chamba State and entered the museum’s collection in 2018. No exhibition history is documented in the cited sources.
Overview
Women Worshipping a Shiva Linga: Devagandhari Ragini of Hindol is a painted panel from a Chamba ragamala. The composition presents two female figures before a dark altar set against a vivid red field, with a narrow blue band above and a yellow‑toned border framing the scene.
Technique & Style
Executed in the ragamala tradition of the Chamba school, the painting employs bright, saturated pigments and fine detailing of costume and jewelry. Gold ornaments on the figures catch light, and the contrast between the red background and the dark altar emphasizes the sacred focal point.
Artist & collection
