TILKAYAT DAUJI II CELEBRATING NANDAMAHOTSAV OR JANMASHTAMI BEFORE SHRI NATHJI KOTA, CIRCA 1810

Opaque watercolor and gold on paper.
33 by 24 cm.

Catalogue Note Dauji II, also known as Damodarji, stands at the painting's threshold venerating Shri Nathji. Dauji II ruled Nathdwara peacefully between 1797 and 1826 and is credited with building a large sanctuary (gaushala) for 4000 temple cows. See a later, posthumous, but closely related, painting of Dauji II performing arati on the day of Sapta-Svarpotsava, which is dated 1846 (Ambalal, Krishna as Shrinathji, New York, 1987, p.66), and a smaller version in the Ambalal Collection (Ghose, Gates of the Lord, Chicago, 2016, p.31, fig.9).

The stage is set for celebrating the birth of the new born Krishna, on the eighth day of the dark half of the month of September (Bhadrapada Krishna 8), one of the most important festivals in the calendar of the Vallabha sampradaya. Dressed in a striking yellow Chakdarwagha, with a plume of peacock feathers pinned to his turban, the image of Shrinathji presents a darshan replete with rasa, as Dauji II (standing on the left side)performs arti. A priest dressed as Nanda, rattle in hand, and another, dressed as Yashoda, are seen rocking the garland–draped cradle of baby Krishna as Nanitpriyaji (the one who loves fresh butter).