Bijaya

The subject of this print follows on directly from the last and shows Shiva having arrived at the residence of his parents-in-law on the fourth day of Parvati-Durga’s visit to collect his wife and their son Ganesha, whom he holds lovingly. The scene is of a tearful departure with the separation of the daughter from her kin, a favored theme of Bengali poets. Family and maid-servants offer gifts and snacks for the journey. Such themes are familiar to all Bengali families and such imagery would have had immense appeal, despite its overt sentimentality. The accompanying note to this picture explains: “Bijaya technically means the departure of [Parvati-] Durga from her father’s house to that of her lord. Her lord Mahadev himself comes to take her off on the fourth day, and it is impossible for the faithful wife to stay longer with her parents.”