The union of Lord Krishna and Radha is the embodiment of love and devotion of an unparalleled intensity. Tributes to their eternal love are an important motif in Hindu arts, including the Kishangarh school of miniatures. These paintings are recognizable by their elongated features with receding heads and serpentine locks of hair.
Crown Prince Sawant Singh of Kishangarh is remembered as an ardent devotee of Krishna, a talented poet and an impassioned lover (and eventually, husband) of the court singer and poetess, Vishnupriya. Their courtship was memorialized by the gifted painter, Nihal Chand. In his renderings of the royal couple, Nihal Chand evoked the divine love affair of Radha and Krishna. He depicted the Prince as the blue-skinned Krishna and his beloved, as Radha.
A verse written by the Poet-Prince inspired this iconic triphasic painting. The uppermost section shows the royal couple in a garden with their attendants during sunset. In the central section they are a crossing a river surrounded by remarkable architecture. The lower panel shows the couple alone in a garden, hidden from the world. The floral garland held by the Prince is another distinctive Kishangarh feature symbolizing impending love-making.
As time went by the Sawant Singh and Vishnupriya retreated from the world and completely immersed themselves in bhakti or devotionalism. In an end that is befitting of this larger-than-life love, it is believed that the pair spent their final days together in the nearby town of Vrindavan—the childhood home of Lord Krishna.
- Maya Tola
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