Rajarajeshwari

This beautifully detailed Mysore Painting with elaborate use of gold depicts Goddess Rajarajeshwari, also known as Tripura Sundari (beautiful in the three worlds). In her four hands, she holds sugarcane, a lotus, pasha (rope) and ankusha (axe with spear). She is the ‘Tantric Parvati’, and the most potent incarnation of Adi Parashakti - the universal Mother (the original creator, observer and destroyer of the universe). She is also one of the ten Mahavidyas who reside in Manidweep. Seated around her on the bottom left are Brahma and Vishnu, and to the right is Karthikeya. Lakshmi and Saraswati are fanning her, and Rajeshwari is sitting on Shiva as she is the supreme form of Shakti. At the top right is the rishi Tumburu Maharshi and to the left, it is most likely Parashurama.
This artwork has been created in 2008 by artist Ram Shiva Kumar (born 1960) and carries his signature on the bottom right. While he was born into a family that was involved in farming and business, the artist always had a keen interest in art, and has won several awards for his work over the years.