Divinity vanquishes Disease

At the crossroads of the variant realms of religion and health, several visual traditions in India portray divinities vanquishing disease. The cult of “disease goddesses” is prevalent across the land, with regional variations : be it the classical Hariti, and later - the now very popular Shitala; or her southern counterpart Mariyamma, to name a few. 

This series of six works, executed in the Jaipur school style, portrays the divinites eradicating disease, personified by demons. Hanuman, Vishnu and Shakti: this powerful trinity protects us from deadly  diseases by vanquishing demons (their bodies, replete with pustules, showing clear symptoms of disease). 

As we encounter disease and death at close quarters during this tumultuous time, we hope that this series of small format paper works can rekindle hope and bring in some positive energy.