Venugoapala - 01

Tanjore or Thanjavur School painting of ‘Venugopala’, the God of love and compassion. The Sanskrit word Gopala means ‘cow protector’ and also ‘protector of the world’. The painting refers to when Krishna was a young man out grazing his cows and enchanted the cowherd maidens (Gopis) with the divine sound of his flute, attracting even Kamadeva - the Hindu God of love and passion. The two female figures are probably his consorts Radha and Rukmini.