Dear all,
I am researching on a specific image representing Indian ascetics under the title of ‘the family of the divine nectar’ or the ‘saints of India’. As the attached document shows, this kind of image has the particularity to gather side by side ascetics (mostly, but not exclusively, celibate male ones) belonging to different spiritual lineage such as Śāiva, Vaiṣṇava, but also Buddhist, Jain or Sikh. The numerous variants, I have been able to collect, differ both in the numbers of ascetics represented (42, 46, 51, 52, sometimes more), as well as their identity. Nevertheless, considering the great majority of Bengali gurus represented in each picture, it seems likely to be a regional phenomenon.
Has any of you encountered this type of image in other states of India (I have some pieces from Maharashtra) ? If so, would you be willing to share it with me in private mode ? Does any of you know of some old versions (before the photo area) of such representation which the authors of this type of image could draw their inspiration from ?
I would be very grateful to those of you who will answer that query as it will help me ascertain the scope of my analysis.
All the best,