The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

King Dasharatha sends his chief minister Sumantra to summon Rama, from the "Shangri" Ramayana

c. 1700–1725

Northern India, Pahari kingdoms, Himachal Pradesh

Gum tempera and ink on paper
Page: 22.5 x 32.7 cm (8 7/8 x 12 7/8 in.)
Gift of Norman Zaworski in honor of Sherman and Ruth Lee 1996.361
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Dasharatha’s chief wife Kaushalya, mother of Rama, kneels on the golden stool.

Description

Seated upon a golden stool before her husband, Queen Kaushalya agrees that the time has come for him to retire and their son Rama to be crowned king of Ayodhya. King Dasharatha gestures to his minister to fetch Rama so they can give him the news of their decision. The scene takes place in the private apartments of the palace, guarded by a stern staff-bearer at the door. In the top margin, the number “18” is written in Takri, the regional script used in the western Himalayas.
  • 1956
    Raghubir Singh of Shangri, Kulu Valley
    ?–1996
    Norman Zaworski [1920–2013], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1996–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Valmiki's Ramayana, Book II, Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 4, verses 1 - 4.
    Cleveland Museum of Art, “Major Neoclassical Marble, Rare Korean Sculpture, Other Recent CMA Acquisitions Now on View,” April 16, 1997, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
  • Imagining Rama’s Journey. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 10-September 17, 2023).
  • {{cite web|title=King Dasharatha sends his chief minister Sumantra to summon Rama, from the "Shangri" Ramayana|url=false|author=|year=c. 1700–1725|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1996.361