A temple of Kali within a courtyard at Karnal - 1815

Watercolour of a temple at Karnal from 'Views by Seeta Ram from Mohumdy to Gheen Vol. V' produced for Lord Moira, afterwards the Marquess of Hastings, by Sita Ram between 1814-15. Marquess of Hastings, the Governor-General of Bengal and the Commander-in-Chief (r. 1813-23), was accompanied by artist Sita Ram (flourished c.1810-22) to illustrate his journey from Calcutta to Delhi between 1814-15.

Karnal, is believed to be founded and named after Karna, a rival of Arjuna in the epic Mahabarata. Karnal is also important in Mughal history, as the site of the scene of Emperor Muhammad Shah's defeat by the Persian invader Nadir Shah in 1739. In 1805, the Britsh took over Karnal and constructed a cantonment, which they occupied until 1841. View of a temple within a courtyard of Kali at Karnal. Inscribed below: 'Mundell dedicated to Kali at Kurnaul'; and on a lose scrap of paper in a contemporary hand: 'Kali'.

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