Art, Symbol & Imagination
The Return of Rama: Venkatappa’s Swan-Shaped Vehicle
Original caption: The Return of Rama
The royal company travels through clouds in the great swan-shaped vehicle Pushpaka, beneath an expansive white canopy. Venkatappa makes the return journey a scene of floating movement, with the passengers’ faces looking out from the decorated car. The Ramayana account describes a self-moving vehicle carrying Rama, Sita and their allies towards Ayodhya after the defeat of Ravana. Bharata awaits their arrival as caretaker of the kingdom, having honoured Rama’s sandals throughout his absence. The plate gives reunion the shape of an extraordinary voyage, carrying the victors back towards the city from which the exile began.
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Citation
K. Venkatappa. "The Return of Rama: Venkatappa’s Swan-Shaped Vehicle" [source caption]. In Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists, Sister Nivedita and Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. Original scan, 1914, George G. Harrap & Co.. Source scan leaf 137. Lumitheca. /gallery/image/hindu-return-rama
Source details
Title from the printed caption. Editorial description. Source details from the Library catalogue.
Artist credited in the printed list of illustrations. Full source leaf and the adjacent narrative reviewed; historical scan colour and texture retained.
Sources
From the book
Myths of the Hindus and BuddhistsSister Nivedita and Ananda K. Coomaraswamy1914More from this book
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Cite this illustration
K. Venkatappa. The Return of Rama: Venkatappa’s Swan-Shaped Vehicle. Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists. Scan leaf 137. Lumitheca. https://lumitheca.com/gallery/image/hindu-return-rama