Here is the Rajanaka Puraskar Award, complete with a hand-carved frame and my design of the Goddess and her consort etched onto the medallion.
The degree of Rajanaka is an honorary name that was given by the kings of Kashmir to individuals who made extraordinary contributions in various fields like philosophy, poetry, and music.
This award is being revived after hundreds of years by the Abhinavagupta Institute of Advanced Studies in Kerala. It was presented in a lovely ceremony by India’s Vice President, Srila Sri Jagdeep Dhankar, to two eminent scholars: Dr. Mark Dyczkowski and Prof. Navjeevan Rastogi.
The design of the medallion portrays goddess Para Vac (‘Transcendental Speech’ AKA Saraswati) drawn in the Kerala Mural style, seated on her consort, Sri Bhairava (AKA Lord Shiva) in a style evocative of ancient Kashmir.
One of the goals of the institution is to deepen the ancient relationship between Kashmir and Kerala’s spiritual traditions. This is reflected in the design of the award. I feel deeply grateful to my client, Dr. R. Ramanand, Director of Abhinavagupta Institute, for selecting me as the artist.
The digital artwork is available for pre-order through my webstore: https://oneearthsacredarts.com/product/rajanaka-award-open-edition-print