Krishna Lifting Govardhan Mountain

This rare miniature painting, titled Krishna Lifting Govardhana Mountain, is a definitive work by master artist Mola Ram (1743-1833). Mola Ram was an acclaimed poet, philosopher and artist who established the Garhwal School of Painting in Srinagar, Uttarakhand. This exquisite painting depicts a popular scene from the Bhagavata Purana: Lord Krishna (as a young boy) saving the people and animals of Vrindavan from torrential rain and storms caused by the angry Lord Indra. In the centre of this painting, we see Krishna, with his tanned skin, lifting the huge slab of Govardhana Mountain using just his left pinky finger. He is joined by his fair-skinned older brother Balarama and village elders like Nanda Maharaj, who is dressed in his regal Mughal-style clothing. Underneath the floating mountain, we see the worried but reassured gopas (boys), gopis (girls) and precious cattle from the village seeking shelter from the elements. This piece of art is a perfect example of how the artists combined the local Pahari styles with the elegant Mughal style. We can see this in the gentle oval shapes of the faces, slim waists and pronounced nose bridge. The warm and cool tones work well together in this piece. The artist also included some realistic features, with small deer, birds and plants dotted around the mountain top. The history and style of this piece of art can be confirmed from reliable sources. The background history of this school of art and it’s artists were brought to light by Barrister Mukandi Lal in his book Garhwal Painting (Published by the Publications Division, Government of India, 1968). Mola Rams style is documented by Dr Shekhar Chandra Joshi from the Faculty of Visual Arts & Design at Kumaun University, Almora. The local heritage of this piece of art can be found online on the Srinagar Heritage Foundation website and the official Government of District Pauri Garhwal website.