Philadelphia Museum Showcases Lord Krishna

Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) is showcasing some drawings related to Hindu deity Lord Krishna till March 27 next.

An exhibition of rare and masterful drawings "Drawn from Courtly India" created between 1500s and 1800s, shows Krishna dancing atop many-headed Kaliya demon and six naginis (Kaliya's part-human part-snake wives); Krishna and the gopis shelter from the rain; festive image of the birth of Krishna; walking Vaishnava disciples; Devi and the Shakti forces attack Nishumbha, Shumbha, and their army; battle scene with demons; etc.

Commending PMA for showcasing drawings about Lord Krishna and other Hinduism subjects, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth.

Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged major art museums of the world, including Musee du Louvre and Musee d'Orsay of Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Los Angeles Getty Center, Uffizi Gallery of Florence (Italy), Tate Modern of London, Prado Museum of Madrid, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, etc., to frequently organize Hindu art focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world.

PMA is also organizing yoga party to "Celebrate the Holidays" on December 30; involving yoga through meditative exercises, yoga postures, and breathing techniques. Calling it a "peaceful stretch", PMA is also making "Henna tattoos" available at this event.

PMA, which began as a legacy of the great Centennial Exhibition of 1876, claims to have "world-renowned collection" and to inspire the visitors "to discover the spirit of imagination that lies in everyone". Timothy Rub, Gail Harrity and Constance H. Williams are Director, President and Trustees Chair respectively of the Museum; while Ainsley M. Cameron is the Curator of this exhibition.

Lord Krishna is the eighth avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu and subject of major Hindu scriptures such as the Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord) and Bhagavad-Purana. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.