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Ravat Vijai Singh peforms puja. Mewar, circa late 18th century. Gouache and gold on paper. Page 29cm by 23.5cm; image 24cm by 18.7cm

In this portrait Ravat Vijai Singh performs puja in his palace. An attendant sits opposite with flywhisk. The nobleman performs arati (prayer ritual involving circular movement of a flame, often as a lamp with wick and oil) with his left hand, a gomukhi (L-shaped bag) on his right hand to perform japa - counting the beads of his tulsi-mala (rosary made from beads from the sacred tulsi shrub) whilst repeating Lord Vishnu's name in a mantra thus forging a route to salvation. His personal shrine features three gilded murtis (icons) beneath an umbrella (symbol of royalty-cum-deity).

The setting for this portrait is (minus the fountain and flower beds) identical to that in a portrait of Maharana Bhim Singh and a Lady of 1788, in Topsfield A, Paintings from Rajasthan in the National Gallery of Victoria, 1980, no.204. Here we see the same yellow-ground carpet, blue-grey background and engrailed arch.