Pichhwai for Bana Yatra or Vraja Yatra
Nathdwara; late 19th century Cotton, painted with pigments and gold
L 168 cm; W 119 cm
TAPI  02.01

Each year, on the 11th day of the bright half of the month of Bhadrapad (September-October), devotees gather in Mathura for a pilgrimage of the sacred sites of Vraja associated with the important lilas (pranks) of Krishna’s childhood.  At each site, a raasmandali or dance troupe performs the raaslila, the pilgrim experiencing the thrill of being in the company of Krishna. 

For those who cannot make the trip to Mathura, this pichhwai serves as a yatra by proxy.  A devotee may earn the merit (punya) of the pilgrimage by having darshana of the sacred precinct of Vraja.

The distinctive feature of this rare and rather unusual pichhwai is the large Shrinathji rising from the space between the rocks of Mount Govardhana.   In response to a command given to him by  Shri Krishna in a dream, Vallabhacharya  went to Gokula, where he unearthed a half-buried image which villagers had long been worshipping.  When Vallabacharya unearthed the image he saw that it was the swarupa of Shrinathji, the Child God lifting Mount Govardhana.