#hemant

It’s spooky season, my favourite art season! And a great reason to bring Kevin and friends back. I actually drew this back in March and posted it on my Patreon but I just finally came around to posting it here oop. 🦌🌲🚌💀

This is probably the only mention of other seasons than spring (Vasanta) personified as deities. They are the guardian deities of the seven chambers of Tripura in Srinagara.

The seven seasons are as follows:

1. Vasanta (spring): He is the guard of Kalpakavati, and the favorite servant of Goddess Lalita.

He sits on a flowery throne, his skin reddened due to intoxication by the liquor extracted from the nectar of flowers, which are also his weapons and ornaments (obviously). He also has a flowery umbrella for himself!

Madhushri and Madhavashri are his wives, who are also intoxicated through the spirituous liquor extracted from flowers. They are very desirous of the god of love having flowers for his arrows.

2. Grishma (summer): The guardian deity of Santavatika, and another servant of Lalita. He is depicted to have fiery eyes.

His wives are Sukrashri and Sucishri.

3. Varsha (monsoon): Guard of Harichandanavati. He has been described physically in details.

Lightning streaks are his tawny eyes. He is highly resonant with thunderbolt and so is his boisterous laughter. He has the haughty clouds for his vehicle (Cloudmobile?), and is covered with clouds like coats of mail. He holds a jewel-bedecked bow, and is absorbed in worshipping Lalita.

His wives are as follows - Nabhashri, Nabhasyashri, Svarasaa, Svara-(N. Sasya)-Malini, Amba, Dula, Nirali (N. Sarasaa), Abhrayani, Meghayantrika, Varshayanti, Chibunika and Varidhara. They shower rain, and have eyes reddened due to intoxication.

Varsha worships Lalita with clusters of flowers raised by himself (dedication, love it). He repeats her names, and adorns her devotees by means of his wealth (rains down on em basically), but also torments her enemies with drought.

4. Sharad (autumn): Protector of the grove of Mandara trees. He just described to be "splendidly glorious, and delights the mind of the world", whatever that means.

Ishashri and Urjashri are his beloveds. The gather water and with clusters of flowers raised by himself (lining with his rain bro i see), he worships the consort of Kameshwar.

5. Hemanta (early winter): He is the guard of Parijata. His body is as cool as snow (which subdues even fire), but his face is "always delightful" (aww). He is also the favorite servant of Lalita, and offers flowers to her raised by himself (three in a row!).

Sahashri and Sahasyashri are his wives.

6. Shishir (winter): He is the guard of the Kadamba tree groves. He is basically cool asf (both literally and figuratively), and so is the chamber he guards. Consider him the snow king, and he worships Lalita ofc.

Tapahshri and Tapasyashri are his consorts.

Arti the sloth bear lives at our Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre (BBRC), about 25 km outside of Bengaluru, India. The centre is in the state of Karnataka, once home to large populations of wild sloth bears. These populations of wild bears have become fragmented in recent decades because of human development and deforestation.

Climbing up for a bears-eye view!

Photographer: Hemant and Kunal

Happy Valentines day 💙