Krishna overcoming the serpent Kaliya

Krishna is shown in an animated dance, holding his flute in one hand and the tail of the poisonous serpent demon Kaliya in the other. Scenes of Krishna overcoming Kaliya often include the demon’s wives, who are depicted with serpent bodies and human torsos and heads. Here, as Krishna dances in victory on the snake-demon’s heads, the wives cluster around and hold their hands together pleading with the god to show mercy to their husband. Krishna acquiesces and, instead of killing the serpent, orders him to leave the Yamuna River. Above, two women, likely villagers, also honor Krishna.

This wooden sculpture was probably created as a panel for a rolling pilgrimage cart that would carry an image of a god in a temple procession. Traces of gesso, an undercoat for painting, suggest that this sculpture was once brightly colored.