When you are far from home, you often crave something that reminds you of your native place. One such destination is the Uttara Guruvayur Temple, a replica of the original Guruvayur Temple located in Kerala. This marvellous temple captivates visitors with its intricate and complex Dravidian architecture, complemented by stunning mural paintings. Being there rekindles memories of the mural paintings stored in your mind.
Mural painting, Source: Kerala mural painting
Introduction
A Mural painting is any piece of artwork painted directly on a wall or ceiling. Unlike other paintings, the Mural paintings are gracefully painted in connection to the architecture of the place. Its colour, design, and themes give an exclusive Aura to the architecture. The Mural paintings were an intricate part of human life. The earliest and most apt Mural paintings are found in the Ajanta and Ellora caves. Similarly, Mural paintings were also found in Ancient Greek and Roman Empires, which is said to be transformed to the modern day Graffiti. Moreover, the mural paintings were also been found in the Gupta age as well as the Vijayanagara Empire.
Origin
The origin of the painting cannot be dated exactly but can be said to be prevalent during the 8th – 12th century. The scriptural basis of these paintings can be found in the Sanskrit texts. “Chithrasoothram” is a part of the Vishnu Dharmottara Purana, a book written in Sanskrit about 1500 years ago. Other scripts include ‘Tantra Samuchayam, ‘ a fifteenth-century text authored by Narayanan, ‘Abhilashitartha Chintamani‘ of the twelfth century, and ‘Silparatna‘ by Sreekumaran of the sixteenth century. This art form gained prominence in the 15th and 16th centuries during the reign of the “Zamorin of Calicut.”
The “Kerala Murals,” painted in temples and palaces, were visual narratives that reflected religious and mythological themes. The themes of these folk paintings were inspired by Hindu epics like the “Ramayana” and “Mahabharata,” as well as tales from ancient scriptures. The painting uses five colors and is also called a “Panchavarna“. These paintings were exclusively found in temples and other walls till the arrival of the British. Due to the British suppression, the Mural painting also faced a backlog. After Independence, it was revived. The paintings were first influenced by the topography and nature of Kerala, which later transformed with the Bhakti movement. With the emergence of Raja Ravi Varma, certain transformations occurred in painting.
Famous Mural Painting Sites
- Thirunandikara Temple – It is considered to be the first Mural painting in Kerala. This is a 9th-century rock-cut temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The paintings have been estimated to be painted in the 10th century during the reign of the Ay dynasty.
‘Ananthasayanam’ meaning the pose of Sreepathmanabha or Lord Vishnu,Source – New India Express
- Padmanabhapuram palace– This is one of the earliest palaces situated in Kerala, surrounded by a picturesque environment that maintains the relics of the past. It has a third floor called Mural pagoda, which contains mural paintings on the walls based on Ramayana and Mahabharata
- Krishnapuram palace: This palace upholds the movement to mural paintings from Mattancherry to Padmanabhapuram(from Kochi to Trivandrum). This palace is famous for its single mural painting covering 154 square feet. The most famous attraction of this Palace is the enormous mural painting known as the “Gajendra Moksham” mural.
- Ettumanoor Shiva temple: This temple is covered with various mural paintings mainly based on Lord Shiva. Among them, the most prominent is the painting of Shiva as ‘Nataraja’ or dancing Shiva. It is also considered the only extant specimen of the old Dravidian style of painting.
Styles
There are two styles of Mural paintings in Kerala.
- Dry Fresco style: here the colors are applied on the Dry surface. In this, the colors do not penetrate the plaster but form a surface film. It is a complicated painting with intricate detailing, but it can be corrected easily
- Wet Fresco style – here, the colors are applied on a wet surface. In this style, the paint is absorbed into the wet plaster, thus making it durable than Dry fresco.It takes 14-60 days to complete a painting. Its background is painted with yellow, and then the inner part is painted. Both are lime-medium-based techniques.
Techniques
STAGE 1: Lekhya Karma
The artist begins with “Lekhya Karma,” which is the fundamental drawing that the artist renders on the wall. This helps to visualise the pattern like a blueprint. The artist prepares the sketch by combining cow dung ash with water or coconut water.
STAGE 2: Rekha Karma
The next stage is known as “Rekha Karma,” in which the artist uses cow dung pencils called “Kittalekhini” to strengthen the linework by tracing it and improving the forms and shapes to be filled in.
STAGE 3: Varna Karma
In this stage (Varna Karma), the artist first moves to the bright spots and then goes to the deeper shades, employing “Panchavarna”- five colors.
STAGE 4: Vartana Karma
This stage (“Vartana Karma”) involves shading and rendering to add depth and dimension to the mural. This can be called toning of painting.
STAGE 5: Lekha Karma
“Bamboo sticks” or “Soft Brushes” are used in this stage of “Lekha Karma” to establish the final touch to the painting.
STAGE 6: Dvika Karma
In this final stage, the artist applies the finishing touches and refines the details. Following the completion of the Mural, the artist covers it with pine resin and oil to preserve it and give it a high-gloss finish.
Current Status
The painting has been transformed and has created many replicas in modern technology. From wall to thick cotton canvas and now to designer sarees and clothing low quality, digital prints; from natural colors to using artificial colors and from handmade brushes to synthetic in course of time the value seems to be lost, but its maintenance in temples and increasing demand among people for study and research has revealed its survival. Reviving this art form is a need to preserve the culture and heritage of Kerala.
mural painting on saree, source- southloom.com
Sources
1. Indian craft archive
2. Indian culture.gov.in
3. The Manorama max
4. Kerala Mural painting