The Nayika and Kama

‘The Nayika in her different moods animates ancient and medieval art, poetry and drama… Her desire for physical union with the lover is as strong as her anguish due to separation from him. Her passion is both generous and intense; she knows how to give pleasure, and she knows how to take it.’ In this lovely book, a celebrated scholar of Indian art, aesthetics and pre-modern sexuality presents a selection of images that show the Nayika―the ideal romantic heroine of classical Indian literature.