An illustration from a Devi Mahatmya series: The Goddess destroys Mahishasura's champion Chamara, North India, Punjab Hills, Guler, circa 1780

The Devi Mahatmya is the fourth and penultimate part of the Markandeya Purana comprising cantos 81 to 92. It is thought to have been written between the fifth and the ninth centuries. The text of the Devi Mahatmya interrupts the discourse between the sage, Markandeya, and his disciple, Kraustiki, which precedes and follows it until the end of the Purana. The Devi Mahatmya relates to the female personifications of the destructive forces of the Hindu deity, Shiva. The great warrior goddess first appears in the form of Mahadevi or Chandika in the Devi Mahatmya series. In the present illustration, the multi-armed Chandika Devi is depicted battling the demon general, Chamara. The diminutive troops beside her have been created out of her own breath. The green-skinned Chamara is depicted four times, firstly seated on an elephant at upper right, secondly trying to ward off an attack from the Devi’s lion while on the elephant, thirdly fighting the lion on the ground and lastly being decapitated by the goddess.

The Devi Mahatmya was of great significance in the Pahari region and a number of series were produced at the local courts. For a list of series attributed to Guler, and dated to circa 1780-90, see Goswamy and Fischer, ‘The First Generation after Manaku and Nainsukh of Guler’ in Beach, Fischer & Goswamy (ed.), 2011, p.691-92.

The composition of the present lot is very similar to a painting from a Devi Mahatyma series, part of which is in the Lahore Museum (inv.no. E.157 (02065/1929), Aijazuddin, 1977, no. 41(v), p.30, ill.p.42). The series attributed to Guler is dated V.S. 1838 (1781 AD) based on a colophon on the reverse of the final folio. Our painting also finds comparison with a drawing of similar size from Guler which depicts the same subject, dated to circa 1780, in the collection of the Museum Rietberg in Zurich (RVI 1553; Fischer & Goswamy, 1999, no. 29, p.63).