King Dasaratha Proceeds to Rama's Wedding

This painting is a single page from a large illustrated book of the Ramayana — the ancient Hindu epic about the prince Rama. The book, known as the Shangri Ramayana, originally had over 279 illustrated pages and was made by court artists in the Punjab Hills of northern India around 1690–1710. Over time the book was broken apart, and its pages are now scattered across museums worldwide. This page shows King Dasaratha, Rama's father, leading his army on a journey to the wedding ceremony where his four sons — including Rama — would each be married. The Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired it in 1994.