Pardeep
๑۩۩๑┼●ℛŐŶ
That fire burns at touch is easily proved,
But love will burn the hearts that are far removed.
- Tirukkural (An ancient Tamil classic)
The lady here is suffering from the same pangs of separation. Lonely to the point of desperation she has resorted to the expedience of talking to her beloved parrot in order to relieve her misery. The delicacy with which she poises towards the bird is evidence enough for it. The eyes intoxicated with desire betray the heat of passion generated in her and which glows forth from her body. Lithely stretching her slender and elongated yet abundantly curvaceous form in the torment of her passion, her bosom swells to the point where her choli (short bodice) is barely able to restrain her globular domes attempting to shoot out from the constraint of this garment. It is as if the voluptuous passions have granted them an energy of their own. The dry branches overhead trying to reach her are of no solace but a grim reminder of her own unenviable position.
The Glimpse of the Lover
Two ladies, one in profile and the other in full view dominate the composition. The one in profile is bashful having turned her head on seeing something which causes her to see red. In all probability she has come here to this lonely spot, accompanied by her sakhi (female friend) to meet her lover. The sakhi does not share her affection for the lover, consequently she does not experience the same attack of modesty. The pitcher at the bottom suggests that they have come to this rendezvous by giving a false pretext at home. Often in medieval times the only occasion when women left their homes were for the purpose of fetching water from the well or the river. Hence this errand provided a perfect opportunity for any activity on the sly.
The finest achievement of the artist lies in the manner the natural curvaceousness of the two female figures blends harmoniously with the stylized elongation of their forms. Conforming to the highest ideals of Indian classical thought they both have hour-glass figures, endowed with ample bosoms, slender waists, and wide hips, the nearest the feminine body can approach to perfection.
This description by Nitin Kumar, executive Editor, Exotic India.
Ajanta Lady
