The Nayaka Goes to Meet Her Lover

The Nayaka Goes to Meet Her Lover

 Mewar School
 Early 17th century AD.

         Deriving its origins from the Malwa School,  the Mewar miniatures retained the same format, the vibrant colors, the archaic drawing, the flatness of the Malwa School.  But its composition was more complex.  In this painting,  the artist has connected the figures of Radha and Krishna through a meandering  composition.

      In medieval India the Nayaka (heroine) was classified into eight types: the proud nayaka, the innocent nayaka, the bold nayaka (as in here), the forlorn nayaka, the bashful one, etc. Radha embodies all the eight nayakas into a single character.  Hence, her importance in Bhakti literature.

Here the lovelorn Radha leaves the safety of her house at night, and walks to Krishna who awaits her in a pavilion.  On her way are the wild beasts, the poisonous snake, the demonic forces (her own fears), the good spirits (her confidence). The painting is highly symbolic: the path of enlightenment (union with the divine) is a treacherous one, full of difficulties,  full of doubts, yet a journey of

anticipation and joy.