Why is Krishna, the all attractive, depicted as black, dark or blue? Why would a tradition that sees beauty in the divine choose a colour associated with darkness? The clue lies in his very name. Krishna in Sanskrit can mean black, dark or dark blue. He is also called Shyama and Neel Megh Shyam, dark as a rain laden monsoon cloud. However, this description may point to something deeper than physical appearance. The ancient Indian imagination often used darkness to suggest what lies beyond ordinary perception. The Rig Veda, in its famous hymn of creation, speaks of a time when “darkness was hidden in darkness”. Before the familiar forms of creation appeared, there was neither the world we see nor the distinctions by which we understand it. Look at the night sky. To our eyes, the universe appears black, punctuated by points of light. Yet that darkness is not empty. It contains stars, galaxies and vast regions beyond direct observation. The ocean offers another evocative image. From a...