This painting is attributed to Khushala who is the son of artist Manaku and nephew of artist Nainsukh. He mainly worked at the Kangra court under the patronage of Raja Sansar Chand. The painting belongs to the Kangra style of the Pahari school which flourished in the late eighteenth century in present-day Himachal Pradesh. Kangra paintings are known for portraying the love stories of Radha and Krishna. They also include royal portraits, devotional rituals, and scenes of courtly life. This painting shows Raja Sansar Chand with his young son Anirudh Chand offering worship before the images of Shiva and Parvati inside a palace shrine. The deities are shown beneath a decorated pandal upon a red carpet decorated with flower garlands. Two attendants stand beside the divine images and are seen waving chauris (ceremonial fly whisks), while a priest dressed in pink his shown conducting a ritual. Three courtiers stand behind the emperor. The painting has beautifully illustrated the details in the textiles, jewellery, architecture, and ritual objects. The silver and gold treatment of the details resemble the life-sized images of the deities in the Gauri Shankar Temple at Sujanpur Tira, constructed by Raja Sansar Chand in 1793 which suggests that the artist probably illustrated a real event. By portraying Raja Sansar Chand worshipping alongside his heir, Anirudh Chand, the artist has portrayed the passage of political authority and religious responsibility from one generation to the next. The portrayal of the prince depicts the legitimacy and continuity of the Kangra dynasty and the ceremony depicts the ruler's role as a protector of dharma. The painting also shows the relationship between art, religion, and political patronage in the Kangra court. The accurate representation of ritual objects, attendants, pandal, etc show the commitment of the artist. Overall, this painting is characteristic of the Kangra style, the painting and depicts a moment of devotion and ideal kingship.
This royal devotional work signifies the highly poetic nature of courtly works of the period. It shows the importance placed on deities as they stand on a shrine adorned with flowers and rich textiles surrounded by attendants. The inclusion of a priest and courtiers indicates the hierarchy of the region. The painting fuses politics, religion, and art, offering a documentation of historical rulers in a devotional context.
