A delicate eighteenth-century Indian miniature depicting a woman performing a nocturnal Shiva puja, paired with formal calligraphy on the reverse.

This exquisite miniature painting, attributed to the artist Muhammad Rizavi Hindi, captures a quiet moment of devotion. The recto depicts a woman kneeling on a terrace, engaged in a Shiva puja. She is positioned before a stone altar holding a Shiva lingam, which is adorned with a floral garland. The scene is set at night, indicated by the crescent moon and the dark, atmospheric sky. The artist employs a muted palette, allowing the soft glow of the ritual lamps and the woman's jewellery to provide subtle points of light. The architectural elements, including the stone railing and the distant townscape, are rendered with precision, typical of the mid-eighteenth-century Indian miniature tradition.

The verso of the original manuscript leaf features elegant calligraphy, demonstrating the dual nature of such works as both visual art and literary record. The script is set against a deep blue ground, framed by decorative borders in red and gold. This combination of devotional imagery and formal text reflects the cultural synthesis present in the artistic circles of the period. The composition of the painting is balanced, with the figure of the devotee providing a calm, vertical anchor against the horizontal lines of the terrace and the dark mass of the hill behind her. The attention to detail in the woman's attire, the ritual objects, and the surrounding flora demonstrates the technical skill required for such small-scale works. This print captures the delicate brushwork and the atmospheric quality of the original, preserving the quietude of the nocturnal scene. It is a fine example of the refined aesthetic that defined the period, offering a glimpse into the private devotional practices of the time.