#balabhadra

[desikanya]

Deva Snana Purnima

[sushi11]

Happy Deba Snana Purnima 🙏 May lord Jagannath bless you all 🌸✨

[teaah-art]

@sundaralekhan Day 5: AU

This time around, I'm posing a secondary theme for my Sundaralekhan works — Arts. In the coming week, I'll be posting art for Sundaralekhan prompts in the form of studies of various art forms that revolve around Hindu mythology.

Taking this chance to highlight the Jagannath Mythology. Whether you call it an offshoot of Krishna lore, Vaishnavite subculture, or both Krishna and Vishnu lores getting influenced by stories and mythology of the Puri area, Jagannath mythology has it's own flavour to it and it's own little stories you won't find anywhere else and make only sense for the coastal town of Puri.

Featured are illustrations inspired by Anasara Paintings, which take the place of the triad in the temple when the three are away on Rath Yatra.

My favourite story from the Jagannath mythology is the tale of Mausi Maa. She gave shelter to Jagannath and Balabhadra when they were very poor. You may think when did that happen to Krishna and Balaram and when did they ever travel that far south to this little shrine in Puri? But that's the point of an AU! Vrindavan may be a model for Jagannath/Krishna lore, but Jagannath squarely belongs in Puri and the mythology worldbuilds itself around Odia locales and traditions. You can read more about Jagannath's unique family here.

I studied one of the Anasara Paintings from the book In the Absence of Jagannatha by Eberhard Fischer and Dinanath Pathy. Reference painting and details under the cut.

This is the "Puri matha triptych of 1998".

Caption from the book:

This was photographed in Puri in 2000, where it was found hanging on a wall of one of the religious establishments. Textiles were fixed at the waist of the images, as is often the case with icons in shrines. The flaking on the torsos of the painted icons indicates that they had been worshipped previously

I kept the cloth and took some liberties in filling out portions of the torso lost to flaking.

[krishna-art]

☀ SHRI BALARAMA ☀

“May Lord Balarama, who is the master of Goloka, who is the supreme controller of all controllers, and whose fame is spotless, protect me. May Lord Balarama, who on His head holds the earth as if it were a single mustard seed, protect me in this world.”~Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca

[krishna-art]

☀ SHRI BALARAMA ॐ ☀

“May Lord Balarama, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, always protect me from within. May powerful Lord Balarama, who enjoys pastimes as the king of serpents, protect me from without. May Lord Balarama, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul residing in everyone’s heart, always protect me.”~Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca

[krishna-art]

☀ SHRI BALARAMA ॐ ☀

“May Lord Balarama, who is the best of the Vrishnis, always protect me at sunrise. May Lord Balarama, who is the king of Mathura City, always protect me in the morning. May Lord Balarama, who is the friend of the gopas, always protect me at midday. May Lord Balarama, who is supremely independent, always protect me in the afternoon.”~Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca

[krishna-art]

☀ SHRI BALARAMA ॐ ☀

”O infallible Lord, greater than the greatest, O Lord whose glories are heard in all directions without limit, glory to You! Glory to You! O Lord served by the demigods, the kings of the sages, and the kings of the serpents, O powerful Lord who holds a plow and a club, obeisances to You!”~Śrī Balabhadra-stava-rāja

[krishna-art]

☀ SHRI BALARAMA ॐ ☀

“O Lord who maintains the earth, O glorious Lord, O perfect and complete Lord, O Lord who holds a plow in Your hand, O Lord who has a thousand heads, O Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa, eternal obeisances to You!”~Śrī Balabhadra-stava-rāja