c. 1450

Court of Indra

Indra, king of the gods and lord of millions of palaces, is pictured here in his heavenly council chamber enjoying the pleasures available to divine beings-represented in the lower panel by a female dancer and musicians. Many of the qualities described in the text on this page match Indra's characteristics as portrayed in the painting. He is wielder of the thunderbolt (drawn as a six-pronged implement held in his upper right hand); he is the one who rides Airavata, the great white elephant (in his upper left hand he holds the handle of a curving elephant goad); he wears skylike robes; gold earrings dangle on his cheeks; and a long garland of forest flowers hangs around his neck.