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Man Dhata in Yogi Position
c. 1690–1700
- Medium
- Gum tempera and ink on paper
- Classification
- Painting
- Dimensions
- Overall: 20 x 14 cm (7 7/8 x 5 1/2 in.)
- Culture
- India, Pahari, Nurpur, late 17th Century
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Indian and Southeast Asian Art
- Credit line
- Edward L. Whittemore Fund
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Cleveland Museum of Art
About this work
An unconventional ruler portrait depicts Raja Mandhata of Nurpur (reigned 1661/1667–1700) engaged in yogic practice, raising his breath to pierce the three knots (ghranti) of the subtle body. The knots, which are located at the base of the spine, the heart, and between the eyebrows, are identified, respectively, with the deities Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra (Shiva).
This rare image of the ghranti points to the key role that kings played in creating yoga’s visual culture.
