The Picture Ramayana
Balasaheb Pant Pratinidhi, The Picture Ramayana, Bombay: B Miller, Superintendent, British India, Press, Mazgaon, 1925, second edition
143 pages including 60 colour plates with tissue guards and a descriptive text in Marathi for each plate; blue cloth boards with gilt text on the cover board
9.7 x 6.5 in (25 x 16.5 cm)
The Picture Ramayana is a simplified story of the great Indian epic.
This present book, a second edition of Ramayana, has 60 paintings based on various anecdotes and events connected with Lord Rama. Balasaheb painted them - to bring out the message of Ramayana better.
It is all the more important because the book contains illustrations painted by the publisher also called Bhavan Rao Shrinivas Rao, the ruler of the state of Aundh, Satara district himself Shrimat Balasaheb Pandit Pant Pratinidhi.
"Bhavan Rao Shrinivas Rao Pant Pratinidhi (October 24, 1868 - April 13, 1951), popularly known as Balasaheb Pant Pratinidhi or Bhavan Rao Balasaheb Pant Pratinidhi, was the ruler of the princely state of Aundh of British Raj during the reign (1909 - 1947).
Bhavan Rao Shrinivas Rao was born to Shrinivas Rao Parashuram "Anna Sahib" (7th Raja of Aundh) on 24 October 1868. He studied at Satara High School and completed his Bachelor of Arts in Deccan College of University of Bombay in Pune. He succeeded the Aundh State as the Raja on 4 November 1909. Although Balasaheb was not a scholar, he was avid reader, and his Sanskrit was tolerably good. He worked as Chief Secretary to his father from 1895-1901 in order to learn the Administration of the State. He was a man of letters, an accomplished painter, and an erudite musical kirtankar. He presided over Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held in Indore in 1935. He also served as President of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha.
In the 1920s, he popularised the flowing sequences of salute to the sun, Surya Namaskar, containing popular asanas such as Uttanasana and upward and downward dog poses, helping to shape yoga as exercise.
In 1946, he was awarded The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". (Source: Wikipedia)