Ancient hand-illuminated portrait of a young Vaishnava ascetic

Unusual and rare illuminated portrait of a young Vaishnava ascetic. The sadhu sits on a small carpet while he is busy beading the rosary, mala. He wears the color yellow which, in accordance with Hindu tradition, is associated with Vishnu and the goddess Saraswati and is the symbol of knowledge and learning. Yellow is also associated with peace, intellectual prosperity, study, concentration and mental alertness.
The master sits on the external floor of a temple in the lotus position; resting on the ground on his right are his only possessions after having renounced worldly and materialistic activities and dedicated himself entirely to an intense spiritual activity and inner search.