Krishna and the Golden City of Dwarka

Krishna and the Golden City of Dwarka, dating to around 1585, is a manuscript illustration from the Harivamsha produced at the Mughal court of Emperor Akbar. Designed by Kesu Kalan and painted by Miskin, the folio is executed in opaque watercolour, ink and gold on paper. It depicts the mythical city of Dwarka, the kingdom of Krishna, who appears as the blue-skinned central figure seated within an elaborate golden palace. The painting originally belonged to the Harivamsha section associated with Akbar’s Persian translation of the Mahabharata, known as the Razmnama. The composition is divided visually between the magnificent palace above and a pastoral landscape below. Krishna, wearing a yellow dhoti and peacock-feather crown, sits upon a lotus throne and gestures towards his brother Balarama, whose raised hands indicate reverence. Krishna is surrounded by members of his family and court, reinforcing his position not only as a deity but also as a ruler. The architecture dominates much of the composition. Its intricate chambers, balconies and brilliant gold create an idealised vision of Dwarka as a prosperous and almost otherworldly royal city. Raised paint and tiny pricked indentations were used to catch light and enhance the glittering effect of its golden surfaces. In contrast, the lower section presents a more familiar rural world populated by people, animals and particularly cattle. The cows recall Krishna’s earlier life as a cowherd in Braj. By placing this pastoral imagery beneath the splendid royal city, the painting brings together two identities of Krishna: the approachable cowherd and the divine king of Dwarka. The contrast also connects the miraculous world of the deity with ordinary human experience, suggesting the presence of the divine within everyday life. The painting is also significant within Akbar’s cultural programme. His court sponsored Persian translations and illustrations of major Sanskrit texts, making Hindu narratives accessible within the Persian-speaking Mughal court. Artistically, the folio combines the brilliant surfaces and meticulous detailing associated with Persian manuscript painting with an increasing Mughal interest in observation and naturalistic representation. Thus, the image functions simultaneously as a devotional narrative, an idealised representation of divine kingship, and an example of the cultural and artistic exchange encouraged under Akbar.