Indian Krishna Juhla or Swing

Two elephants, a pair of tall columns, and a seat for a very small god.

This Krishna juhla, or swing, comes from Gujarat, India, and dates to the 19th century. It is carved and polychromed teak wood with metal fittings. Small swings for images of the infant Krishna are a well-known feature of Hindu devotion, particularly at festivals of his birth. Here a little railed seat, fringed with bells, hangs from a beam on long rods. Fluted columns rise from elephants with small riders, and a scalloped arch above carries more bells. It stands 91 inches high and 46 wide.

Much trouble for so small a passenger. That is rather the point of devotion.