Series depicting the dashavatara
Awadhi artists
c.1800
Opaque watercolour with gold paint
Devotion to Vishnu and his ten earthly incarnations or ‘avatars’ (the ‘dashavatara’) is particularly prevalent in north India. According to Hindu belief, Vishnu was compelled to descend to earth in these ten animal and human manifestations in order to restore dharma (cosmic order).