As with many other renderings of Mumbiram, the exquisite drama that is depicted here leaves ample scope for imaginative interpretations and guesses as to what is happening between the persons appearing in the vision. That is what makes viewing a Mumbiram Rasa Masterpiece such a personal, intimate and ‘alive’ experience. Here is what we ourselves see in this picture that Mumbiram has called “The Dance of Geeta Govinda”.
“Geeta Govinda” is the poetic work in Sanskrit by poet Jayadeva from the 12th century Orissa. “Geeta Govinda” narrates in 12 Prabandhas the happenings in three nights and two days in the lives of the adolescent Radha and Krishna. It is a musical composition depicting intense love, longing, separation and union. The compositions of great literary beauty are also exquisitely sonorous, and set up the stage for inspired dance presentations. These were regularly presented by teams of temple dancers in the great temple of Jagannath at Puri. Mumbiram’s own translation of “Geeta Govinda” into English is published by DistantDrummer as “Conjugal Fountainhead”. Dancing is an important aspect of spiritual expression in the Bhagavat tradition, Shri Krishna Chaitanya’s dances in front of the Jagannath-chariot at the Ratha Yatra in Puri are legendary. Mumbiram’s dances along the river in Pune and the Raiwadi beach near Alibag were an integral part of his delightful daily practice. It is no wonder that dancers appear in Mumbiram’s paintings in widely different contexts.
Here, in this vision a young man of androgynous charm is dancing with raised arms even as the tassels and the feathers tied to his waist are flying and bouncing around him. He is wearing heavy metal ankle-bells. The sound of the ankle-bells provides the music that keeps the rhythm of his movements. He is wearing a vertical Vaishnava Tilak on his forehead and a strand or two of necklaces out of fine Tulasi beads. Those are the only decorations on his body. His lady-friend is reclining on the floor close to him. She is holding on her chest a book that she is reading. It would be fair to speculate that she is reading or singing verses from the “Geeta Govinda”. A few strands of beads and a kumkum spot on the forehead are the only decorations adorning her body. Whether he is inspired to dance upon hearing the verses of the Gitagovinda, or whether they are professional dancers rehearsing for a recital is immaterial. We think they have an enviable relationship and rapport between them. Mumbiram’s simple, yet confident lines are fully inspired, to say the least. Whether their faces conform to stereotype conventions of beauty is immaterial. How they are together and what they are doing makes them appear very handsome indeed.

It is a pleasure to share this intimate glimpse of a couple in enviable relationship and rapport relishing the ecstatic rasas of the epic Rasa Classic “Geeta Govinda”