Pichhavai shrine hangings are commissioned in adoration of the Hindu god Krishna and displayed according to seasonal festivals. This pichhavai was created for Sharad Purnima (the autumn full moon festival). It shows Krishna in the form of the child-god Shrinathji; his left hand is held high in reference to the miraculous event in which he lifted Mount Govardhan to protect his community from a violent storm. Flanking Krishna are gopis (milkmaids) from the cow-herding village in which he grew up, while the lower register celebrates the auspicious sacred cows. In the starry sky, on either side of the silvery full moon, Hindu gods travel in flying boats. Holding lotus blossoms, Krishna is dressed in the dancing skirt and garlands appropriate to the festival. Along the base of the painting is a narrow strip of water filled with lotus leaves and flowers. This represents the Yamuna River, the site of many of Krishna’s life events.