Hanuman at Rishyamukha

 Hanuman at Rishyamukha


Original oil painting of Hanuman seated on a rocky cliff overlooking a misty mountain valley at sunset, awaiting Rama and Lakshmana.





There are moments in a great story when almost nothing appears to be happening, and yet everything is about to change.

This painting depicts Hanuman on Rishyamukha Mountain, during the period when Sugriva and his followers have been driven into exile. Hanuman sits among the rocky landscape overlooking the forest.

Somewhere beyond this quiet scene, Rama and Lakshmana are approaching the mountain in search of Sita. Within moments, this encounter will change the course of the Ramayana.

I was drawn to this particular moment because it is so different from the usual depictions of Hanuman. There is no dramatic leap, no battle, no mountain being carried, and no elaborate gesture of devotion.

Instead, there is stillness. Hanuman simply waits. 

I imagined him sitting on the rocks of Rishyamukha, surrounded by the vast landscape, with the evening light spreading across the mountains. The smallness of the figure against the landscape was important to me. It creates a feeling that Hanuman is part of this wilderness rather than standing apart from it. At the same time, there is something almost expectant about the scene. We know what is coming. That quiet tension is what I wanted the painting to hold.

Painting the landscape

I worked on this painting in oils on canvas, building the landscape through layers of dark rocks, vegetation and atmospheric color.

The rocks were particularly important. Rather than treating them as a simple background, I wanted their forms and crevices to create a sense of depth and structure. In the final painting session, I deepened the shadows between the rocks and added small highlights to bring out their uneven surfaces.

The vegetation was built with broken touches of color, allowing the greens and yellow-green highlights to emerge against the darker foliage.

I also glazed selected areas of the painting to bring greater depth into the landscape and atmosphere. The distant mountains were kept softer and quieter, while the foreground rocks received stronger contrasts and more defined marks.

Hanuman himself is deliberately small within the composition. The landscape surrounds him, while the winding tail and seated figure provide a subtle focal point of a meeting that changes everything. The meeting that follows this moment is one of the most significant encounters in the Ramayana.

Rama and Lakshmana arrive at Rishyamukha while searching for Sita. Sugriva, seeing the two armed princes approaching, becomes fearful and sends Hanuman to find out who they are.

Hanuman approaches them in disguise and speaks with them.

It is through this encounter that he recognizes Rama and understands the purpose behind their arrival. The meeting eventually leads to the alliance between Rama and Sugriva. From this point onward, Hanuman's devotion becomes inseparable from the story of Rama.

What begins here is not merely an alliance between two groups. It becomes one of the most profound relationships in the Ramayana, which is the meeting of Rama and Hanuman, and the beginning of Hanuman's path of service and devotion.

Completing the painting

The final session was largely about restraint.

Rather than adding major elements, I concentrated on small changes that would allow the painting to settle into its final form. Like deepening the shadows in the rock crevices, adding subtle highlights to the landscape, glazing selected passages and strengthening the atmosphere. Finally, I added my signature.

With that, Hanuman's quiet wait on Rishyamukha was complete.

I like to think of this painting as a pause before the story moves forward. The meeting has not happened yet. Rama is still approaching. Hanuman is still waiting, but destiny is already on its way. 

Artwork Details

• Title: Hanuman at Rishyamukha

• Medium: Oil on canvas board

• Dimensions: 12" x 18"

• Status: Available for reservation until ready to be varnished.


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