Shiva is one of the principal deities in Hindu mythology. Shiva has pre-Vedic tribal roots, and the figure of Shiva as we know it today is an amalgam of various older non-Vedic versions and Hindu deities, including Rigvedic storm god Rudra, who may have non-Vedic origins, into a major deity. Ardhanariswar is a composite form of the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati. Parvati is Shiva's wife and is also known as Durga, Devi, Shakti, and Uma.

“ARDHANARISWAR” is depicted as half male and half female, equally split in the middle. The right half is usually a male illustrating his traditional attributes. It represents the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies of the universe. It demonstrates how Shakti, the female principle of God, is inseparable from Shiva, the male principle of God, and vice versa. The union of these two principles is exalted as the root and womb of all creation.

This painting of “ARDHANARISWAR” was done on Imperial size 300gsm (140 lb.) Cold-pressed Arches paper with Watercolour and Ink.

This painting is based on the traditional Madhubani style. The Madhubani style of painting is also known as Mithila Painting. Mithila was a region that is presently part of Bihar in India and Nepal. The roots of this art form are believed to date back to the 7th century, during the Ramayana period.

This art form was unknown to the outside world until 1934, when an earthquake toppled the houses in this region, and a then-British colonial officer in Madhubani stumbled upon the paintings. The myth goes that when Sita was to be married to Rama, the father of Sita, King Janaka, the ruler of Mithila, commissioned local artists to paint murals in his palace.

Originally, these paintings were painted on the walls of Khobar Ghar, the nuptial chamber of newlyweds. The walls were coated with mud and cow dung, and Madhubani paintings were created on them. Like most art forms, Madhubani art took inspiration from nature and Hindu mythological motifs.

Usually, the paintings do not leave any space, and the blank spaces are filled with designs of flowers, animals, birds, plants, or geometric patterns. Bright colours were used and sourced from natural ingredients such as turmeric, lime, milk of the banyan tree, the red flower Kusum, sandalwood, rose, and rice powder.

More paintings in the Madhubani style are available on this website.

Read more about Madhubani Paintings in this Blog post.

Please read the article to learn more about our process, shipping methods, and care-caring tips for the artwork.