Mandarava

I’m loving these little Hindu goddesses I’m getting from eBay. 
 
130225MandaravaSm
4×6 watercolor 130225Mandarava. In private collection.
 
Mandarava, whose name means Celestial Red Flower, was a princess in North India. She was the consort of Padmasambhava, the teacher who ultimately brought Buddhism to Tibet. Her father, the king, did not like Padmasambhava and threatened to kill her if she did not renounce him. She refused, so he tied them both up and lit a fire! They manifested a lake around their feet and couldn’t be burned, so the king had to accept they were meant to be together.
Mandarava is seen here dancing through a ring of fire, with ripples of water at her feet.
 
 

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