The art of decorating temple walls with images started a few centuries ago in Kerala. It has been fascinating to find some good examples of murals still intact on the walls of temples, royal palaces, and homes of Jenmis (landed aristocrats). The images followed a pattern in terms of structure, dimension, ornamentation and posture. The paintings found in churches date to a much later period depicting biblical stories, quite different in style, technicalities, etc in comparison to the temple murals. This book is a beginning of an in-depth exploration into traditional Kerala mural painting, its style and technicalities followed in ancient temples, palaces and homes.
As a student of Guruvayur Mural Painting Institute promoted by Guruvayur Devaswom Board, I had a wonderful opportunity to understand the murals up close. I was fortunate to explore and study the temples and palaces in Kerala. My travels to Mattanchery palace, Thodeekalam Siva temple, Chemmanthitta Mahadeva temple, Trissur Vadakkumnathan Siva temple, Keezhur Siva temple, Pandavam Sree Dharma Sasta temple, Kaliyamvalli Bhagavathi temple, Panayannarkav Bhagavathi temple, and Pundarikapuram Vishnu temple have been fruitful in understanding the various aspects of Kerala mural paintings. Study of the mural compositions there inspired me to adopt talapramanam as the basis. It also led me to consider Kerala mural art with a new pespective, and build a new tradition of study by deciphering the approaches in those styles. A long thorough study of mural patterns and the laws of Shilpashastras (science of sculpture) was undertaken for this purpose. It can be observed that all forms of art generally have a set curriculum. Unfortunately, most of these knowledge systems have gone extinct with gurukula sampradaya. This further encouraged me in developing a curriculum for Kerala mural painting. It was in 2004, that I first prepared a scheme for teaching, based on my explorations.
If we try to re-examine the ancient images on the founding basis of traditional scientific texts, we may be able to recover some of the lost ancient practices. This book is my humble attempt in trying to revive the lost knowledge, on the basis of available sources. I have prepared this book for mural students and art teachers, the first in a series which I intend to publish. This book provides in-depth knowledge of basic talapramana (navatala), mudras, ornaments, vastra, ayudhas and alankaras. Although, the basis for this book is derived from Shilpashastras, small variations have been made with respect to Kerala murals. I have been privileged to impart this knowledge of Kerala mural painting to many students over the last two decades. It is at their behest that I got motivated to publish this book.
Literature, art, architecture and paintings are the most visible, imperishable, and potent expressions of cultural lineage. It enables one to transcend deep into the heart of a civilization shedding all that is ephemeral and preserving its eternal core. Therefore, the spirit of an age is faithfully reflected in literature first and then seeps into other mediums such as art and paintings. The artists usually keep their fingers on the pulse of the culture and society, absorb it and then, unknowingly reflect them in their lines and drawings.
Although a large chunk of the ancient paintings have been lost over the years, some of the paintings of Altamira in Spain (36000 BP) and Lascaux in France (17000 BP), are still preserved providing a glimpse into the life and activities of the prehistoric men. Similar paintings have been discovered in India by Dr Vishnu Hari Wakankar at Bimbetka, which has now been declared a World Heritage monument by UNESCO. Spread over an area of more than 10km, it has more than 750 rock shelters where pre-historic men lived and painted. During the historic period, the paintings of Ajanta dated from the second century BCE to 480 CE, and Ellora with its bold lines and vibrant colors are a living testimony to the mastery of Indian artists in the dim and distant past.
Tirunandikara cave, in Kanyakumari, although it has a Pandyan origin, is believed to be the earliest extant painting in Kerala. The second stage of Kerala painting is marked by the Nataraja in the Gopura of the Siva temple at Ettumanur, belonging to the 16-17th centuries. Stylistically, it closely resembles the Gajendramoksha scene of the 18th century at the Krishnapuram palace located at Kayamkulam. The paintings of Pallimanna Siva temple at Kumblanadu in Wadakkanchery, Sankaranarayana temple in the premises of Vadakkunathan temple, in Trissur, Pandavam Sasta temple at Aimanam in Kottayam and Mattanchery palace also belong to the time bracket of 17- 19th centuries.
The most important reason for the efflorescence of the painting tradition during this period was the Bhakti Movement started by Thunchat Ezuthachan (16th century), Melpathur Narayana Bhattatiri (1560-1646) and Poonthanam Nambuthiri (1547-1640) and the profound influence they exercised on the contemporary society and succeeding periods.
It is unfortunate that Kerala paintings have not been studied properly by researchers and very little has been studied by professional painters. Here lies the importance of this book written by the practicing artist Shri Sasi Edavarad. He not only studied the mural art of Kerala but also scientifically rearranged their curriculum to make it palatable for beginners and open fresh vistas for researchers.
I appreciate his research and initiatives to study Kerala paintings from fresh angles. I am sure that it would, in turn, trigger a new perspective and interpretation for further research work. It isnecessary that such efforts should be encouraged by the Government. I wish him all success in his research endeavors.
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