Goddess Jagadhatri - Krishnahari Das

A nineteenth-century lithograph by Krishnahari Das depicting the goddess Jagadhatri, showcasing the blend of traditional Indian iconography and colonial-era printing techniques.

This lithograph by Krishnahari Das depicts the Hindu deity Jagadhatri, a manifestation of the goddess Durga. Produced in Calcutta during the late nineteenth century, the work reflects the intersection of traditional religious iconography and the adoption of Western printing technologies in colonial India. The artist operated from Bowbazar Street, a centre for early commercial lithography in the city.

The composition follows established iconographic conventions. Jagadhatri is shown with four arms, seated upon a lion that stands over a prostrate elephant. This imagery symbolises the triumph of divine power over ignorance and ego. To the right, two figures stand in an attitude of devotion, their presence providing a sense of scale and narrative context. The background features a mountainous terrain under a rising sun, rendered with the soft, tonal shading characteristic of nineteenth-century lithographic techniques. The artist employs a monochromatic palette, using varying densities of ink to create depth and texture in the foliage and the deity's garments.

Such prints were widely distributed across Bengal, serving as accessible devotional objects for domestic shrines. They represent a period when local artisans began to synthesise indigenous mythological subjects with European academic drawing styles. The print retains the original border and the publisher's mark at the base, which identifies the workshop of Krishnahari Das. This piece offers a view into the visual culture of late colonial Calcutta, where the demand for religious imagery spurred the growth of local printing presses. The work is an example of the transition from hand-painted religious art to mass-produced lithography, which altered how deities were visualised and venerated in the domestic sphere.