4. Khandita Nayika – Love, Longing and Left ‘On Read’ – Kangra Paintings on Love Meet Modern Dating

Khandita Nayika, Punjab Hills, Garhwal or Kangra, 1800-20

This post is the fourth in my series on “Love, Longing and Left On Read: Kangra Paintings Meet Modern Dating” in which I am connecting these beautiful Indian miniature paintings with the various situations that can happen in modern dating, connecting the different times and culture, as I always love to do. The introduction to the series you can read here, the first part on Utka Nayika you can read here, the post on Vasakasajja Nayika you can read here, and Abhisandhita Nayika here.

Khandita Nayika is the one sinned against or the one enraged with her lover. The mood here is the one of rage, betrayal and …a possible revenge. Think of: blocked WhatsApp accounts, dramatic outbursts on Instagram stories, bitching about him with her female friends or ‘sakhis’. ‘Can you believe this guy!?’, ‘Leave him girl!’, ‘He was ugly, you deserve better anyway…’, that type of talk. What was the nayak’s (or hero’s) sin? Could be various things; maybe he is still following his ex girlfriend on Instagram and liking her pictures, maybe he lied about something, maybe he was tagged on a picture from a party about which the nayika didn’t know about… Any kind of shady behavior, or infidelity. The beautiful painting here of Khandita nayika was painted in Garhwal or Kangra c 1800-20 and shows Radha, looking beautiful in red, turning her head and gaze away from Krishna and even pushing him away with her hand. He is just sitting there, speechless because he knows he sinned against her and he is too tired from last night’s party to come up with a good lie. He tried though, there are two lotus flowers on the floor, as we can see, but Radha didn’t take them. She doesn’t want anything from him right now. The rocky hills in the background may symbolise how stern Radha’s anger is. She will not yield to his apologies, she will stay quiet and stubborn as a rock. I love how dramatic her gesture is, with one hand on her forehead and one gesturing him to leave her be and to leave her alone.