Vermillion Wall Art

Vermillion — 14 museum-grade prints in this palette. The lotus tank (kamal-talai) and the peacock are the great secular motifs of Nathdwara pichwai — the painted cloth (pichhwai, literally 'that which hangs at the back') hung behind the Shrinathji deity to set the seasonal scene. Lotus-pond cloths come out in the monsoon and autumn months, echoing the temple's own bloom; peacocks signal the rains. In Pushtimarg (the Vallabh tradition centred at Nathdwara, Rajasthan), seva of Shrinathji — the child-Krishna Govardhan-lifter — begins in the kitchen, where bhog is cooked fresh before darshan. Makhan-mishri, fresh butter with sugar crystals, is Krishna's most beloved offering, tied to his childhood as the makhan-chor. Peacock-dance cloths belong to the monsoon in Nathdwara's seasonal calendar — the peacock, displaying as the rains break, is among the most beloved pichwai motifs. A pichhwai (literally 'that which hangs at the back') is the painted cloth hung behind the Shrinathji deity to set the season's mood; the rain-month cloths bring out peacocks, clouds and lush green groves.

Updated 22 Jun 2026