Tara - 01

Extremely rare oleograph of the goddess 'Tara' by Raja Ravi Varma from the early 1900s. According to iconographic texts, Tara Devi is described as a tantric deity popular in India, China, Tibet and Mongolia. The meaning of the word ‘Tara’ means one who ferries across the ocean of suffering. Tara Devi is also the wife or consort of Vali, the powerful warlord in the Ramayana.
In this print, it is uncertain if Raja Ravi Varma intended to portray the deity or the consort of Vali. It depicts an aristocratic lady seated on a boat, wearing a crown and playing a sitar. She is shaded by an umbrella. Another lady is also seen seated on the boat, appreciative of the music of the sitar.