1936 Calendar – Shiva Pariwar (Parvati with Ganesha & Kartikeya with Nandi) Publised by Ravi Varma Press Karla Lonavala, Certified by Art Historian Padamshree Ratan Parimano on back side.
• Visual Theme: This calendar shows Lord Shiva, Parvati, and their children Ganesha and Kartikeya, seated majestically on Nandi the bull, with symbolic animals (lion and peacock) and the snow-capped Himalayas in the background.
• Design Details:
• The bold green background frames the divine family.
• Side panels display the monthly calendars for 1936 in a neat golden tone.
• At the bottom, brightly colored Sunlight Soap packs and cut bars appear, showcasing both English and Indian design motifs on the wrappers.
• Cultural Resonance: By associating the soap with the sacred family ideal, the ad reinforced values of purity, harmony, and moral order—values deeply ingrained in Indian households.
Historical & Collector Significance
• These calendars are prime examples of how Ravi Varma Press bridged mythology and marketing. The divine imagery ensured that these calendars were not discarded after the year ended, but preserved as decorative art.
• Surviving pieces in such excellent condition are extremely rare, as most were exposed to sunlight, humidity, and daily household wear.This particular piece of Art never Exposed to Sun & its in prinsine condtion.
• For collectors, complete and well-preserved Sunlight calendars with original vivid colors and intact date pads can command high auction values, especially when they feature major deities painted in the Ravi Varma tradition.
. The Connection Between Sunlight Soap & Ravi Varma Press
• Sunlight Soap was a brand introduced by Lever Brothers (later Unilever) in the late 19th century and was aggressively marketed in colonial India.
• By the early 1900s, the Ravi Varma Press had become famous for producing high-quality oleographs and lithographs of mythological and cultural scenes.
• Sunlight leveraged this popularity by commissioning special advertising calendars from the press—featuring Ravi Varma–style imagery alongside the Sunlight brand name.
2. What These Calendars Looked Like
• The calendars typically featured mythological scenes, Indian women in traditional attire, or epic characters painted in the Ravi Varma style.
• The Sunlight logo or slogan (“Sunlight Soap – for bright clothes and bright homes”) was prominently placed but blended into the artwork so that households would hang them as decorative art.
• Each calendar had tear-off monthly date sheets at the bottom, while the upper half was the lithographed image.
3. Cultural Impact
• At a time when photographic advertising was still in its infancy, using lithographed paintings gave Sunlight Soap instant cultural acceptability and aspirational value.
• People didn’t see it merely as an ad—they saw it as art worth preserving. This allowed Sunlight’s branding to remain in homes year-round.
• It was an early example of advertising through collectible art, which was later adopted by other soap and textile companies.
4. Collector’s Perspective
• Authentic Sunlight calendars printed by the Ravi Varma Press are extremely rare today. Many were discarded after the year ended, while survivors often have fading, foxing, or missing date sheets.
• Their value depends on:
• The image used (mythological themes are more desirable than generic portraits)
• Condition of the lithograph and paper
• Presence of the complete date pad
• Visible Ravi Varma Press mark
• In recent auctions, rare examples have fetched ₹50,000 to ₹1.5 lakh depending on condition and theme.
