ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the artistic representations of the goddesses in Nepali traditional paintings. In the earliest Nepali art forms, the representations of the goddesses can be found in the paintings of the illuminated manuscripts. Miniature paintings in the manuscript Prajnaparamita of the eleventh century depict Gautama Buddha's mother Mayadevi. The artistic meditation is one of the prime requirements for Paubha painting. Prajnaparamita, the goddess, sits on an open lotus. Manuscript paintings are the most profound texts of Nepali art whose significance can be understood to visualize and conceptualize the cultural categories like knowledge, protection, family values, sexuality and male-female relationship. The deity of wisdom is similar to Sarasvati, the goddess of knowledge. Knowledge is very frequently associated with feminine imagery in myths and arts of Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The myriad representations of the goddesses of Grace, Rage and Knowledge are the foundations of Nepali arts in a broader South Asian context.
