Tribhanga Radha-Krishna

In their togetherness, the Vrindavan lovers are a sight to behold. The handsome young cowherd, and the finest of the milkmaids (‘gopis’). Avatara of Lord Vishnu; Her Lakshmi-roopa (Lakshmi-like) chhavi (image). The flute between His fingers, the divine music of which pervades the evergreen forests of North India; and the dance of His devoted lover that holds Him captive. Lord Krishna and His Radha are the most iconic amorous duo of Indian culture.

The twin murti that you see on this page depicts the two in the finest of their iconography. He is the tribhanga murari (the body juts out at three different junctures as He plays on His instrument), while She is caught in the same tribhanga stance amidst a dance of abandon. The sharply engraved features of their faces are set off by different styles of crowns - His is a multi-tiered number, while Hers features a lotus blooming in the mouth of a milk-pot. The halo behind His head, and the asymmetrical sprigs of vine that flank their respective faces. Note the lotus-bud to the right of Radha’s crowned head, symbolic of the Devi Lakshmi within Her.

The figurines are each wrapped in a coat of luscious vine. They wind around the supple arms of Krishna and Radha, cascade around their hips with the adornments streaming down their torso, and reach all the way down to the upturned lotus pedestals upon which they stand. Beneath the dense network of vines, the artisan has paid considerable attention to the detail of their attire and silhouette, which boast of a realistic finish.