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h6. Queen Choladevi Before the Hermit-Sage Angiras: Page from a Dispersed Vrataraja: (King of Vratas, Rites Undertaken to Fulfill a Vow)
Made circa 1790
Ink and opaque watercolor (gouache) on paper
21cm by 29.2 cm
The subject of this painting is unusual. Queen Choladevi, whose husband had been blessed by Lakshrni, the goddess of good fortune, had not recognized the goddess when she came to her mansion in disguise. For her neglect, the queen was cursed by the deity and was given the head of a sow. She fled to the sage Angiras, who taught her the secret of the Mahalakshmi vrata, through whose power she was restored to mortal form. The story stresses the efficacy of tantric worship.