The Sarngaka Birds Survive the Burning of the Khandava Forest
From Our Collections Razmnama Leaf Collection
Item Info
Item No: mcom00231
Title: The Sarngaka Birds Survive the Burning of the Khandava Forest
Additional Title: Razmnama (Book of War)
Media Type:
Manuscripts
Source: Rare Book Department
Notes:
This painting depicts a great fire in the Khandava forest, one of the many stories-within-stories told in the Razmnama. Driven by insatiable hunger, the fire god Agni was consuming everything within the forest—trees, demons, and beasts alike. A select few were spared, however, including the four sarngaka birds. The six men may be members of the Pandava family, whose capital lay adjacent to the forest. The bold geometry of the composition and dark hues are unusual for Mughal painting of this period. Because this and many other stories illustrated in the Razmnama were new additions to the Mughal artistic repertoire, artists likely had greater license to experiment not only in composition but also in palette.
Region/County: Region/County:Northern India, Mughal court
Creation Year (Single Year or Range Begin): 1599
Call Number: Lewis M 23
Creator Name: Dhanu - Artist
Subjects
The Sarngaka Birds Survive the Burning of the Khandava Forest
Razmnama Leaf, The Sarngaka Birds Survive the Burning of the Khandava Forest 
Razmnama Leaf, Reverse