Traditional Style

Kadru, probably first half of the 20th century, 24.5 cm, private collection In Hindu tradition, nagas are mythical beings that take the form of snakes. They have an ambivalent nature: the body of the naga Vasuki is used by the gods and demons to extract the nectar of immortality (amrita) during the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, but the venom of nagas can also bring death, and it is the bite of Takshaka, king of the nagas, that kills King Parikshit, leading his son Janamejaya