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Krishna Steals the Clothes of the Cowgirls (Gopis) (recto), from a Kalighat album

c. 1890
Gum tempera, graphite, ink, and tin on paper

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FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG

In this image taken from both popular accounts and the Bhagavata Purana , Krishna has stolen the clothes of cowgirls ( gopis ) who are bathing in the Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganges River. He refuses to return their clothes, the purple saris seen hanging high in the tree, until they come out and bow to him with folded palms. Krishna, a cowherder, is holding a flute, which he uses to lure them away.

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