This is my entry for 's Mythology contest, managed to finish it one day before the end of applications .

The original piece *really* looks better than this wonder my camera created.

It's been some time since first wanted to portray Bagula, a Hindu goddess with a crane's head. She is connected with the world of the dead and is also the one who lets people know that their loved ones are suffering (like the voice in the back of your head telling you that there's something wrong).

When this piece was already in progress, I read that "bagula" actually means "egret", and is often mis-translated as "crane", however, I decided to keep to the source I read about Bagula for the first time, mainly because of considering Grus antigone, Sarus crane, a picture of whose head I used for reference, quite an attractive species. Colouring posed some questions, too, because the only ones whose symbolism in India I could find on the internet were for red (purity) and white (sorrow), and I thought that black for parts of the dancing constume would give a more solemn impression.

Tools; watercolour on an inked sketch, topped with water soluble pencils.
Reference photo of Sarus Crane found through Google,
Costume/pose reference - [link] from

One last note, because I know many rather religious people and this argument always finds it's way to arise again - when I speak of fascination with certain concepts and gods from different cultures, it does NOT mean that I believe in them. It really must be the phenomenon of the religious mind to take any discussion including ANY religion serious and... the more I think about it, the less religious I feel. I do not mean to offend anyone. And I also do not want beliefs put in my mouth. That's the end of it.