Ramayana painting, Hanuman brings life-saving herb, sanjeevani

This cotton painting shows Hanuman bringing back the life-saving herb ('sanjeevani'). The artist has used a black and white palette to evoke a night scene, a modern take on the old classical tradition of Orissa painting.Orissan painting is well known for its detailed line drawings and delicately decorated figures. Socially, Ramayana has played an important role in Indian society. This painting is a sample of a living tradition, which has continued until today and has a popular following.