A blend of the spiritual and the sensual, the romantic heroine in the Indian tradition is celebrated in prose, poetry, painting, dance, and music. Focusing in particular on the paintings of the Rajput courts as well as sculptures, calendars, and miniatures, this book examines what may be an unfamiliar, erotic Eastern femininity. Along with dozens of splendid reproductions of traditional Indian art, the texts included here address how the image of woman has shaped and been shaped by Krishna lore, Sufinarratives, and the hybrid artistic form known as Ragamala.