Print on dibond 'Purple Rain 4' by Chila Kumari Burman, 2017, showing the Hindu goddess Parvati against a purple background of orchid flowers. The frame embellished with mirror pieces. This print forms part of a set of four.

Parvati also manifests as Sarasvat, goddess of learning, and therefore science and wisdom. The orchids are taken from photographs of orchids at Kew gardens.

One of 29 works produced by Burman as a commission to accompany the Science Museum’s ‘Illuminating India’ season in 2017-18. Three works feature Parvati.

The works respond to objects and narratives in the history of science in India particularly to the exhibition ‘5000 Years of Science and Innovation’, as well as to the wider religious and cultural history of the sub-continent. This was Burman's first significant engagement with the history of science and medicine, with the works ranging across print, collage, photography and mixed-media, including experiments with iPad technology.