Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Painting showing Swami Haridas, Emperor Akbar and Tansen

Photo: Jaipur-Kishangarh mixed style Rajasthani painting (1750) depicting Emperor Akbar and Tansen visiting Swami Haridas in Vrindavan

Swami Haridas, the spiritual poet and classical musician credited with a large number of devotional compositions in the Dhrupad style, is the founder of the Haridasi School of mysticism. His work influenced both the classical music and the Bhakti movements of North India, especially those devoted to Krishna's consort Radha. He is counted as a follower of the Nimbarka Sampradaya, the Vaishnava tradition of devotion to Radha-Krishna. He was the disciple of Purandara Dasa and the teacher of Tansen.