18th century CE
TSM Accession: HM-4026
Pleach No: PIF/00DMP82
Title: Raja Chandulal worshipping Anantasayana Vishnu
Style: Mysore School – Deccani Miniature
Artist: Unknown
Medium: Watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 33 x 24 cms
Period: 18th century CE
Rights: Telangana State Museum, Hyderabad
Documented by: Pleach India Foundation, Hyderabad
Raja Chandulal was a statesman and a poet who served as Prime Minister to Nizam Sikandar Jah. This miniature painting depicts him in devotion as he offers prayers to Shesh-shayi Vishnu reflecting his Vaishnavite faith.
This artwork features Vishnu reclining on Ananta Naga within a gold-embossed niche, adorned with various gold and pearl-designed flags along the upper edge. Brahma, wearing a golden crown, emerges from a lotus stemming from Vishnu’s navel, all set against a green background. Sridevi and Bhudevi, bedecked in gold jewelry, are seated at Vishnu’s feet on the left. The prominent gold embossing points to the Tanjavur style, suggesting a rich exchange of artistic and cultural influences.