“Sanjeevani Booti” – A Life-Restoring Moment in Rounak Rai’s Signature Style
Hope, Desperation, and Divine Intervention from the Ramayana
This painting titled “Sanjeevani Booti” by Rounak Rai captures one of the most emotionally charged moments of the Ramayana — the battlefield crisis where Lakshman lies unconscious, and Hanuman races against time to fetch the life-saving herb Sanjeevani.
Scene Description:
At the center lies Lakshman, wounded and collapsed, his body pierced by arrows. His skin is pale, his limbs lifeless — symbolizing the fragile line between life and death. He rests his head on the lap of Lord Rama, who appears visibly distraught, yet composed — holding his brother with one hand and faith with the other.
In the air, Hanuman flies heroically, carrying the entire Dronagiri mountain in one hand and the rising sun in the other — a nod to how he halted time (or tried to) to save Lakshman. His posture is dynamic, muscular, and filled with urgency, contrasting the stillness below.
To the right, two divine figures point toward Hanuman, one of them perhaps being Shushen, the vaidya (physician), guiding Hanuman in identifying the herb.
Artistic Features (Rounak Rai’s Style):
Flat backgrounds and bold lines: The green mountain terrain is stylized into a repetitive pattern, creating rhythm and visual flow.
Symbolic exaggeration: Hanuman’s enormous hands and stretched posture emphasize his superhuman strength.
Contrasting emotions: Rama’s calm sorrow, Lakshman’s lifelessness, Hanuman’s fierce determination.
Folk-modern aesthetics: Human-animal hybrids, spiritual geometry, and expressionistic color palette highlight Rai’s hybrid visual language.
Layered storytelling: The text above the painting, in Devanagari, acts as a chant or doha, adding spiritual context to the visual drama.
Interpretation:
This artwork is not just a literal depiction — it’s a metaphor for hope in crisis, for the urgency of love, and for the divine faith in duty. Hanuman’s flight is a reminder that when all seems lost, a true devotee can move mountains — quite literally.
Rounak Rai transforms a well-known Ramayana moment into an emotionally powerful visual — balancing mythology with modern-day emotional resonance. In today’s context, the painting can symbolize the fight for life, the role of caregivers, and the miracles that belief and effort together can achieve.
“Sanjeevani Booti” is thus not just about herbs or gods — it’s about saving someone you love when time is against you.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.