My painting Mayura Mandir shows a peacock resting under a big tree as the golden temple glows behind it. I wanted it to feel like a vibrant evening moment, when the bright colors start to shimmer. In Hindu tradition, peacocks stand for beauty, grace, and prosperity, and they’re tied to many stories, such as Lord Kartikeya who rides a peacock, Saraswati who is linked to its wisdom, and Krishna who wears a peacock feather in his crown.

To create that feeling, I used Madhubani patterns and tried watercolor washes for the first time to get the layers of color. The hardest—and my favorite—part was the peacock itself. Figuring out the shapes and patterns took time, but I love how it turned out. For me, the bird and temple together show both tradition and nature, and I hope viewers can feel that calm and connection.