Posted on: 31 January 2012

Painting; gouache and watercolour, Three South Indian couples, from an album of 30 Company paintings, Tanjore, ca. 1830

One of a volume of thirty folios, three religious mendicant couples are here depicted.

The pictures made by Indian artists for the British in India are called Company paintings. This one comes from a volume containing 30 folios depicting castes, occupations, methods of cultivation and processional scenes. It shows three religious mendicant (begging) couples. The man carrying five pots containing Neem leaves on his head is a devotee of Shitala or Mariyamma ('Rain-Mother'). She is a goddess of smallpox and other infectious diseases. He and his wife hold small pellet drums (damaru), and the identifying inscription is in Tamil. The woman in the dark blue sari holds a shrine containing a seated figure of Bhairava (Shiva), while her husband beats a long drum (mridanga). The man on the extreme right carries a stick, a bowl and a razor, while his wife holds their baby in a sling round her neck. The inscription is in Telugu.

Source: V&A, London


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"Mari" means Rain Mariyamma is rain mother and It is not Tulsi(Basil) it is Neem.

Thank you! Will correct the error in the V&A description right away.

"It shows three religious mendicant (begging) couples" - Not correct. The man with the bowls with the neem leaves is a dancer who traditionally performs at the Mariamman prayer ceremony, before the sacrifice to the goddess, see his anklets, I have photos of this ceremony here: http://www.mumbai-magic.blogspot.in/2008/04/goddess-for-summer.html See how closely this drawing matches real life. The neem leaves are protection against the pox, having medicinal properties, and in my photos also you will see people wearing skirts of neem leaves. His wife, to his left, plays the damru for his dance. This dance ceremony and sacrifice is performed in April, the beginning of summer, when skin-related diseases are said to be higher.

And these drums are not mridangams.

"The woman in the dark blue sari holds a shrine containing a seated figure of Bhairava (Shiva)," - I do believe she is carrying a photo of Mariamman. See this photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariamman

Deepa Krishnan: Excellent observations! I guess the experts at the V&A site are not well-versed in these finer details. Be that as it may...these errors at least provide a context to share one's knowledge with others.

khub interesting chobi. thanks shib.