The apsaras or heavenly nymph Menaka interrupts the asceticisms of the sage Vishvamitra, an illustrated page from a Balakanda of the Ramayana series, Mewar, Udaipur, India, circa 1720-30, opaque pigments with gold on paper, with brief Rajasthani captions above, Folio 27 x 40 cmVishvamitra, who was born a ksatriya or warrior, was determined to change his status to that of a Brahmarshi, the highest possible status to be obtained by a Brahmin. To that end he undertookasceticisms for countless thousands of years. The gods, alarmed, sent the heavenly nymph Menaka to distract him, a ruse which succeeded for a while. For a while they lived together untilVishvamitra realised he had been tricked. He sent the nymph away and resumed his asceticisms witheven more ferocity, rebutting further attempts at distraction, until Brahma himself came down from heaven to grant him his desire.The great age of pothi manuscript illustration in Mewar was the third quarter of the 17th century, with a revival taking place at the beginning of Sangram Singh's reign (1710-34). When royal interest became increasingly focused on the recording of the great tamashas and festivals, manuscript pages such as this one became more abbreviated in their approach to telling stories, normally without any text on the versos. See in particular Topsfield, A., 'Court Painting at Udaipur', Artibus Asiae, 2002, pp. 69-153.LiteratureTopsfield, A., 'Court Painting at Udaipur', Artibus Asiae, 2002The apsaras or heavenly nymph Menaka interrupts the asceticisms of the sage Vishvamitra, an illustrated page from a Balakanda of the Ramayana series, Mewar, Udaipur, India, circa 1720-30, opaque pigments with gold on paper, with brief Rajasthani captions above, Folio 27 x 40 cmVishvamitra, who was born a ksatriya or warrior, was determined to change his status to that of a Brahmarshi, the highest possible status to be obtained by a Brahmin. To that end he undertookasceticisms for countless thousands of years. The gods, alarmed, sent the heavenly nymph Menaka to distract him, a ruse which succeeded for a while. For a while they lived together untilVishvamitra realised he had been tricked. He sent the nymph away and resumed his asceticisms witheven more ferocity, rebutting further attempts at distraction, until Brahma himself came down from heaven to grant him his desire.The great age of pothi manuscript illustration in Mewar was the third quarter of the 17th century, with a revival taking place at the beginning of Sangram Singh's reign (1710-34). When royal interest became increasingly focused on the recording of the great tamashas and festivals, manuscript pages such as this one became more abbreviated in their approach to telling stories, normally without any text on the versos. See in particular Topsfield, A., 'Court Painting at Udaipur', Artibus Asiae, 2002, pp. 69-153.LiteratureTopsfield, A., 'Court Painting at Udaipur', Artibus Asiae, 2002