This painting from the Agra Vijnaptipatra of 1610, by the renowned painter Ustad Salivahana, illustrates the final episode in the story of a significant three-meter-long invitation scroll. The painting describes the act of accepting and reading of the farman (decreed order), granted by the Emperor Jahangir to the Jain Shvetambara guru Vijayasena Suri.
In the upper register of the painting, we see the Guru sitting on his throne, which indicates his spiritual power and importance. Before him, his pupils – Vivekaharsha and Udayaharsha – formally unroll and read out the text of the document that prohibits animal sacrifice during the Paryushan days. These eight days of celebration were officially sanctioned by the emperor and marked the end of the slaughter of animals throughout the Mughal Empire.
The rest of the picture, presented against a brilliant green background, illustrates festive rites that take place after receiving such important news. One panel shows how Jain ladies dressed in white clothes design sacred swastika shapes with grains of rice. In the bottom section, a musical procession with drums and other instruments is depicted. The style of this artwork reflects the characteristics of the Popular Mughal school that combines features of court portrait art in a Mughal profile and traditional flat monochromatic backgrounds of Jain miniatures.
The clean separation of the background, the upper half in a bright red and the lower half in more textured greens, could be an indication of status or otherwise actions, as the green half displays more common festival rites. It is interesting to note how all of the figures are painted in such a way that suggests they are all watching what occurs in the bright red, perhaps watching for what decree will be made before them.
