Cleveland Museum of Art
Ravana battles the great vulture Jatayu and defeats him by throwing stones in his mouth, folio 18 (recto) from a Chandana Malayagiri Varta (Story of King Chandana and Queen Malayagiri) of Karamachand
- Date
- 1744–45
- Medium
- Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
- Culture
- Northwestern India, Rajasthan, Rajput Kingdom of Kishangarh
- Department
- Indian and Southeast Asian Art
- Institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Scenes of the abduction and rescue of Sita are embedded within a popular tale rewritten in a Gujarati-Rajasthani vernacular language by the poet Karamachand in 1629–30. Many details differ from the more well-known Ramayana of Valmiki. The artist shows Ravana as a merchant carrying Sita in a white sack slung over one shoulder. As Jatayu, a vulture ally of Rama, attempts to rescue her, Ravana attacks him with a sword, above. He then defeats the bird by throwing stones in his mouth. He painted the stones with blood, so Jatayu would swallow them. The blood-covered stones will weigh the bird down, so he cannot rescue Sita.
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Folio 18 from a Chandana Malayagiri Varta (Story of King Chandana and Queen Malayagiri) of Karamachand: Ravana battles the great vulture Jatayu and defeats him by throwing stones in his mouth (recto); Jatayu approaches Rama and Lakshmana who are wondering where Sita could be (verso)
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