Janmastami

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

As the evil king Kamsa had intended to kill the baby Krishna, Vishnu ordered Vasudeva to take Krishna to Gokul, the scene shown here. Vasudeva exchanged Krishna for the daughter of Nanda and Yashoda; later she prophesizes Kamsa’s death. As a result of this exchange Krishna grew up in Gokul with his stepbrother Balarama before ultimately returning to kill Kamsa. Here, Vasudeva embraces Krishna and runs through a dramatic stormy landscape on the shore of a lake. Krishna’s birth and escape from Kamsa is still today marked by the Janmastami celebration.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art