Sri Rama Pattabhishekam (Winner of Shilp Guru Gold Medal Award) | Traditional Colors with 24 Karat Gold

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This supremely aesthetic Tanjore Sri Rama Pattabhishekam is framed by a sturdy teakwood frame, which is carved with traditional patterns. Inside the dark frame is the vibrant scene of Sri Rama’s court presented with sprawling arched structures adorned with Shikhara, architectural details, and motifs such as the Kirtimukha- face of glory.

Two flags, bearing the Vaishnava symbol of conch and discus characterize the artwork’s affiliation to the Vaishnava fold. In the background of the lofty architecture, in the uppermost section of the painting are images of the Sun and Moon, heavenly beings showering flowers, and figures of Garuda, the bird mount of Vishnu.

Underneath the arches, with luxuriant green and red drapes are the interiors of the royal court. On each side of Sri Rama’s throne are the brothers of Rama- Lakshmana and Shatrughana with fly whisks and Bharata as a royal guard. Groups of sages, kings, monkey kings, and subjects, as well as human subjects of Sri Rama, crowd the hall, corridors, and staircases of the court. The left half of this Sri Rama Pattabhishekam Tanjore shows divine sages, standing close to the throne, a row of Vanaram (ape-like creatures), royal musicians, priests performing Yajna (sacrificial ritual), and a royal elephant.

On the right section of the Tanjore artwork are the celestial Gandharva musician Tumburu holding a Veena, two women carrying a vase of plenty (Purnaghata), and a bowl of fruits. The stairs on this side have several human kings, present in the court of Chakravartin (sovereign ruler) Sri Rama, to pledge their loyalty. Female singers and male musicians, a horse with its caretaker, and a Ratha (chariot) with a winged horse are also shown on the right side of the Thanjavur painting.

The foreground of this Rama Pattabhisheka painting depicts the powerful presence of the Dashavatara-ten incarnations of Sri Vishnu, housed in individual arched structures, reminding the devotee of the promise made by Vishnu, the preserver lord, of descending to protect Bhu (earth) when she is troubled by sins and sinners. Surrounded by his followers and devotes, accompanied by Devi Sita who is Sri Lakshmi herself, with his dangling foot held by Sri Hanuman lovingly, is a divinely green-skinned Sri Rama.

Striking red in the background contrasts aesthetically with Sri Rama’s green-hued physique, which is adorned by intricately designed ornaments and kingly attire. A towering Kiritamukuta (Vaishnavite crown), a garland of pink lotuses, and glistening overalls imbue the figure of Sri Rama with awe-inspiring beauty. His right hand is in the Varada mudra, or the gesture of disseminating boons, underling the universal benevolence of Rama.

While the other members of this composition either face Sri Rama or gaze outside the canvas without directly meeting the eyes of the audience, Kamalnayana- Whose eyes are like the Kamala or lotus flowers, Sri Rama has his powerful and compassionate gaze fixed straight at the viewer. This is a marvelous feature of traditional Thanjavur painting, where the eyes of the primary subject, mostly gods and goddesses, are painted last, and in a manner that animates the composition magnificently.

Creating any Tanjore artwork is a tedious and specialized task, but one can only imagine the amount of time, focus, skills, material, and patience that went into making this monumental work. Fine details, use of the techniques of perspective to fit a large number of subjects inside the canvas, presentation of the multitude of events around the Pattabhishekam simultaneously, choice of traditional colors, and flawless embellishment of the composition with 24 karat gold leaf have created a gem of a Thanjavur painting. With this stunning piece of art in your space, you can relish in the timeless glory of Sri Rama, as if you are witnessing the homecoming of the Ayodhyapati (Pati or Lord of Ayodhya) with your eyes.

Gilded Elegance: Unraveling the Artistry of Tanjore Paintings

Tanjore painting is a traditional form of art in the South Indian style and was started by the inhabitants of a small town known as Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu. This gives it another name called “Thanjavur painting”. This painting draws its figures, designs, and inspiration from the time when Vedic culture was prevalent in India. Certain remarkable features of a Tanjore painting distinguish it from other paintings. Some of these are pure gold or gold foil coating on gesso work, the use of rich and vivid colors, and the inlay of cut-glass or semi-precious and precious stones. The subjects of most of the Tanjore paintings are Hindu Gods, Goddesses, and saints. The main devotional figure is portrayed in the central portion of the painting and is usually surrounded by various secondary figures.

The process of making a Tanjore painting

The classic Tanjore paintings are done on wooden planks and hence are also referred to as Palagai Padam in South India (Palagai = Wooden plank, Padam = Picture). Creating a masterpiece is never an easy task but the skilled artists of Thanjavur have been following the tradition of making timeless Tanjore paintings for decades.

The making process begins with preparing the wooden board or canvas. The size of the board depends upon the choice of the patron. The next step is to paste cardboard over the wooden board and then a cotton fabric is stretched and pasted upon it using Arabic gum.

Now that the cloth is attached to the wooden panel, a rough sketch of the motifs and figure is drawn onto the fabric. After this, a paste of chalk powder and water-soluble adhesive is evenly applied over the base and smoothed.

Thereafter, the outlines which were made or traced using a stencil are now ready to be beautified and decked with various add-ons. The usual materials for decoration are cut-glass, pearls, semi-precious and precious gems, gold leaf, and laces. 22 or 18 Karat Gold leaves and gems of varied hues are especially inlaid in areas like pillars, arches, walls, thrones, and dresses. In the final step, the rest of the painting is filled with rich and striking colors such as shades of red, blue, and green. Formerly, the artists used natural colors like vegetable and mineral dyes instead of chemical paints. The entire painting is then cleaned and refined to give a flawless finished look.

Since the making of a single piece of Tanjore painting requires a complex and elaborate process, the artists usually take at least one or two months to complete it. The use of pure gold foil and gems for beautification is a characteristic of an authentic Tanjore painting. Due to this, Tanjore paintings last for generations without getting tarnished and are much more expensive than general paintings. Though the art form has undergone various changes and technique modifications over the years, it continues to attract the hearts of art lovers.