Bhairavi ragini
- Gallery: Room 33
- Culture: Amber
- Made in: Amber (probably); Rajasthan
- Date: 1610-1620 (circa)
- Object type: album
- Materials: paper
- Museum number: 1973,0917,0.3
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
"Before you is a vivid painting from the "Bhairavi ragini; The Manley Ragamala," an album capturing the musical traditions of India. You see a woman with an attendant worshiping a Śiva-linga in a lakeside pavilion filled with lotuses and water birds. Her cymbals mark a rhythmic prayer. At the base of the linga sit ritual vessels, and a small bull lies nearby.
This piece dates to around 1610–1620 and was likely painted in Amber, Rajasthan, during a time when Mughal influence merged with regional styles. The work is part of a larger set once owned by William Watson and later by Dr. W. B. Manley, who bequeathed it to the museum in 1973. The painting reflects the "ragamala" tradition, where music modes are paired with visual and emotional imagery. Look closely to catch the Sanskrit inscription at the top, and enjoy the rich colors and intricate details of this rare piece of art."
See it in person
Bhairavi ragini is on display in Room 33 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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