Usha's Dream, an oleograph by Raja Ravi Varma

The video shows Usha’s Dream an oleograph by the great Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma. This painting portrays a scene from Mahabharata, the Indian Epic. It shows Usha, the daughter of the demon king Banasura, dreaming of Aniruddha, the grandson of Lord Krishna.

Usha was the daughter of the terrible demon king Banasura. She was kept in a formidable fortress called ‘Agnigarh’. Usha one day dreamt of an unknown handsome young man. She fell in love with him. Chitralekha, her friend, identified him as Aniruddha, the grandson of Lord Krishna. Chitralekha using supernatural powers brought Aniruddha to Usha’s quarters. They married secretly and stayed at ‘Agnigarh’. Realising Aniruddha’s whereabouts, Krishna invaded Bana’s fortress and carried away the couple.

Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore in Kerala India. His paintings serve as some of the best examples of the fusion of Indian and European art.