In the legends of Krishna's youth, he is a spirited cowherd from a humble village, recognized for his beauty and miraculous powers. In the legends of his mature years, he is the ruler of his people, the Yadu clan. The transition takes place after Krishna has fulfilled the mission for which he was born on earth as an avatar of Vishnu-that is to kill the demon Kamsa. He returns to his people to find them beset by would-be conquerors. He moves the Yadu clan from the north-central part of India, near Mathura, to a new capital city surrounded by the sea at Dvaraka on the western tip of Gujarat. There he marries, rules, and dies. He has eight queens and 16,000 wives. This section of the exhibition draws on stories from the Mahabharata, a text many ceturies earlier than the medieval literature of devotion.

Paintings in this gallery from the Museum's collection are organized into three groups that relate stories of Krishna as a lover and as a hero. Click on the following links to learn more.

• Stealing Hearts
• Lover and Beloved
• Hero and God

Literature and Painting

For more information on our South Asian Collection, please visit our online catalogue.

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