Unknown Maker, Indian

Throughout the reign of the Mughal dynasty in India, holy men were a constant source of interest for the imperial artists. Sometimes a single Hindu sadhu or Muslim fagir was depicted conversing privately with the emperor while in other cases groups of holy men were portrayed in their rustic retreats. Here their spiritual journey is being hastened by a liberal use of opium and bhang (a cannabis-derived drink being strained in the center of the picture).