
There is one vision of Krishna sitting alone near the water and playing upon his flute that has been seen very often by all those who have been around Mumbiram. The very first such image that was made in India can be traced back to 1981 when Mumbiram was clearing up the Mandai dwelling in Pune that lay uninhabited for over 8 years. The busy wholesale market had moved to Gultekdi. Downtown Mandai lay in a deserted but peaceful state.
Mumbiram stayed at the home of Professor Dandekar, the director of the Gokhle Institute of Politics and Economics, for a few months around December 1980. Mrs. Dandekar knew Mumbiram’s mother when they were neighbors as young girls in Pune. Mumbiram had stretched a large canvas for a Forest Women painting that he wanted to make again. Mrs. Dandekar had quietly given Mumbiram the cash for that. The painting was not made before 1985 when Mumbiram was introduced to Dr. H.K.Sancheti the reputed orthopedic surgeon. Mumbiram also stretched another small canvas that would become this iconic work. This was a remake of sorts of a painting that Mumbiram had left in the Portland Krishna temple.
This turned out to be one of the first paintings Mumbiram made in the Mandai Studio. Several other versions of this iconic kind followed. Mumbiram has kept the first original oil painting with the Thakur tribals on the mountains near Pali Sudhagad in Raigad district. Several versions of this iconic Krishna painting exist in far corners of our planet. This vision clearly has been an overwhelming favorite with Krishna lovers.
Mumbiram’s school buddy Kamod Ghotankar had gotten another buddy named Chugh buy Mumbiram couple of more canvases. One became the drawing of “Bhagavad Gita on the Digital Device”. The other became the first drawing of Krishna with a Pulindi.
Mumbiram made fibreglass medium versions of the painting. Photos from the early 80’s show Mumbiram’s Pulindis worshipping Mumbiram’s iconic MuraliManohar.



