Photograph of a relief sculpture representing Krishna Venugopala from the Allardyce Collection: Album of views and portraits in Berar and Hyderabad, taken by an unknown photographer in the 1860s. As Venugopala, Krishna represents the flute playing cowherd who attracts the gopis with the sound of his divine music. Depictions of Krishna with his favoured gopi, Radha, are often used to symbolise the union of the human soul with the divine. In this sculpture Krishna is represented as holding the flute to his mouth. Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Vishnu.
Source: British Library Website