Art Print – “Jayanti Mangala”: Goddess Kali on the Crimson Hibiscus

Provenance

Jayanti Mangala presents Goddess Kali in her fierce, protective form, standing before an immense red hibiscus within a deep navy field and cream border. Her name, 'Kali', is inscribed in Devanagari at the top, and beneath the image runs 'Jayanti Mangala Kali', the opening words of a hymn to the Goddess.

Kali stands upon the reclining figure of Shiva, recognisable by his crescent moon and cobra, her dark blue skin and long, flowing black hair framed by a golden halo and crown. In her four hands she holds a curved sword, a severed head and a bowl, while her lower right hand is lowered, palm open, in a gesture of granting. A garland of skulls falls to her knees over a spotted skirt, and her extended red tongue completes the classic iconography of the goddess.

The deep crimson of the hibiscus, its petals traced with fine golden veins and its long stamen rising behind her crown, blazes against the navy ground, while cool blue, ivory and gold temper its intensity. The result is a powerful, balanced composition that renders a formidable subject with clarity and devotion.