Landscapes Of The Mind
  • Home
  • Musings & Reflections
  • Glimpses Through The Lens
    • The Feathered Beauties
    • I Saw,I Clicked... >
      • Vishnupur
      • The Tantalizing Landscape Of Uttaranchal
      • Amidst The Sand Dunes Of Khuri
      • Chatris Of Shekawati
      • Havelis Of Shekawat
    • I Saw, I Clicked Part II >
      • Hosaholalu
      • Pristine Havelock
      • Pichavaram
      • Chidambaram
    • I Saw I Clicked Part III >
      • Yosemite
      • A Day At The Vatican Museum
      • Norcia
      • Moscow
    • Butterflies & Flowers
    • Close Encounters At Corbett
    • Bijapur & Beyond
    • Enchanting Athirapalli
    • Splendours of Seatlle
    • Monet's Garden
  • Glimpses Through The Lens: II
    • Poetry in stone >
      • Brihadeeswarar Koil
      • Gangaikondacholapuram
      • Dharasuram
      • Thanjavur Art Gallery
    • In The Land Of Enlightenment
    • Charming Chitrapu
    • Exploring Orissa >
      • Mesmerizing Mangalajodi
      • Bewitching Bhetnoi
      • Daksa Prajapati Temple
    • Birding Down Under >
      • Parrots Galore!
      • Lyrical Lyre Bird
      • Honey Eaters
      • Kingfishers, Wrens, Wagtails, Warblers...
      • Orioles, Golden Whistlers
      • Cockatoos, Kookaburras & Magpies
      • Pigeons, Doves
      • Birds Of Prey, Bower Birds
      • Water Birds & In Flight
      • Others
    • Murals of Pundarikapuram
  • Contact Me

In An Artful Space . . .

6/1/2020

48 Comments

 
Picture
As my previous posts would have indicated, I am besotted with murals. When I read that there are murals of the Nayak period in Tirunelveli district, I was keen to have a glimpse of them. When I researched a bit more, I realized that they were rather difficult to view and would require oodles of clearances. It dampened my spirits initially. As providence would have it, within the course of a few weeks, people who could help me through it got in touch with me. It is through their unstinted help and guidance that I was able to get access to many temples in the area. I am deeply indebted to their spontaneous assistance.

Let me start this journey with an account of our visit to Thiruppudaimaruthur.

Sri Narambunathaswamy temple at Thiruppdaimaruthur in Papakudi Taluk, is one of the oldest temples in the region. It is situated in a picturesque location at the confluence of the Gadana and Thamirabarani rivers. It was built in 650 BCE by King Maravarman. The presiding deity is Lord Shiva. The Shivalinga is said to have been discovered when Veera Marthanda Pandy was hunting a deer. He found the deer hiding at the foot of tree and decided to cut it with a sickle.   doing so, to his great shock and surprise he found a Shiva Lingam. To atone for his act, he built the temple and to this day the lingam is seen with a cut on the head. Because of this, abhishekam is not offered to it. The lingam is tilted to the side and there is another interesting anecdote to explain it. Karuvur Siddhar, one of the most renowned ascetics, wanted to have a darshan of the lord. But when he reached the place, there were flash floods in the Tamirabharani and he was unable to cross the river. Moved by his prayers, an invisible voice guided him to cross the river which parted to allow him to reach the temple. Since the Lord was leaning to listen to the prayers of his devotee, the lingam is seen tilted to the side!

It was a pleasant journey to the temple from Tirunelveli through verdant green fields. I was keen to reach it early to have a glimpse of the murals before sunset. To our great disappointment we found that there was no one at the temple. We went around its deserted precincts, fervently hoping that someone would turn up soon. To our great relief the person responsible to permit us entry came in shortly after.

He opened the iron gates of the main gopuram and we started ascending the steep steps inside in sheer darkness. It was quite an effort to scale the high, narrow steps and when I reached the first tier of the gopuram I was totally unprepared for what I saw. Every inch of the wall was covered with exquisite paintings, the likes of which I had never set my eyes upon. As it was quite dark inside, it was quite a difficult task to have a good look at them, which we accomplished with the lights from our mobile phones!

The paintings are in the five levels of the gopuram. Each level has a cruciform outlay which is bisected by exquisitely carved wooden pillars (more of it in a later post!). The carved pillars and painted ceilings create a perfect sense of rhythm. Four of the five floors in the gopuram consist of hundreds of murals portraying various religious themes and places of worship while the murals on the second floor are narratives depicting scenes from daily life illustrating the culture and socio-economic life of every part of the society, from the king to the common man in addition to battle, in an almost photographic mode. In an extraordinarily lively manner they offer us tantalizing glimpses of the era.

In each panel there is a continuous depiction of various scenes with stylized borders of flowers, decorative motifs and animals. Each one of them requires a detailed account. Some of the exquisite ones include a dancing Siva, Vishnu as Seshasayi, a seated Ganesha, marriage scenes of Siva and Parvathi and episodes from Ramayana. Another spectacular painting, two metres tall and 3.6 metres wide, portrays a sail-ship with Arab traders bringing horses. Cavalry formed an important wing of the army and thousand of horses were imported. One can see these horses in action in the battle scenes.

Perhaps the most vivid ones are the battle scenes, which are replete with dynamic energy. They portray warriors on horses and elephants, fighting each other with spears and sword. One can see sepoys with long topees and men holding flags, blowing trumpets and playing drums. These paintings have baffled art historians for several decades and they have debated on what was the war fought and who the adversaries were.

There is a suggestion that these murals portray the Tamirabarani battle in 1532 between the King of Travancore, Bhoothala Veera Udaya Marthanda Varma and the Emperor of Vijayanagara,  Achyutadeva Raya. As per records, the battle was at Aralvaimozhi Pass, near Thovalai in Kanyakumari district. The war erupted when the king of Travancore Udaya Marthanda Varma after refusing to pay obeiscence to Achyutadeva Raya, annexed much of the territory of the Tenkasi Pandya ruler Jatila Varman Sri Vallabhan, who in turn approached the Vijayanagar emperor for help. To teach them a lesson the emperor himself undertook a 'Dhikvijayam' with his enormous army. The joint armies were defeated by Vijayanagar army and Marthanda Varma and was produced before  Achyutadeva Raya at Srirangam who pardoned him after a light punishment.

These paintings date from second half of 17th century and bear resemblance to those at Lepakshi which I had described in an earlier post. The style is characterized by sharp angularity of the figures with elongated hands, fingers and feet. Deities are usually shown frontally whereas the rest are depicted in profile. Great care is taken in the depiction of different costumes and textiles with very captivating designs. The colour palette is quite varied with a judicious mixture of green, red and black. Interestingly a few of them have a sepia tone as one would see in period photographs.

I also wondered as to why these murals have been painted inside the gopuram (like the Chola murals in Brihadeeswar temple at Thanjavur) and not in the pradakhina passage around the sanctum where devotees would have greater chance to see them. Yet at the same time, safely ensconced inside the dark interiors of the gopuram, they have withstood the travails of time well.

The paintings do not bear the names of the artists. Given the extent of the work, several artists must have worked in unison to create these magnificent paintings. What sets these paintings apart is great thematic diversity, boldness in depiction and brightness of a rich palette of colors. These unknown artists are also magnificent storytellers! They have succeeded in creating an enchanting, enlivened space. As I walked through the five tiers, absorbing the myriad paintings, I was transported in time and space. It was a transformational experience.

To a large extent the history of painting in South Asia has focused on earlier works such as the murals at Ajanta and the North Indian courtly paintings of the Rajasthan and the Mughal empires. Though the Chola murals have attracted some attention, the paintings of Nayak period have been relegated to the background.

With my own personal involvement and passion in visual arts, I keep wondering as to what draws me to artistic creations like these. What is their mysterious pull? Is it just the attributes of the artworks itself or the way it resonates within me? Perhaps artworks are intertwined with our personal interests, predispositions and a larger world view. Something that is often referred to as ‘rasanubhava’: a delicate interplay between the observer and a work of art. Such moments often encompass within it a sense of intimacy, belonging and intense closeness with works of art which I continue to experience in many a place I visit, like this one.

The dusk was settling in and it was time to leave the company of these treasures. As I descended the steep steps, with much reluctance, after one and a half hours, these words of  Kandinsky resonated deeply within “Color directly influences the soul. Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers and the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another purposively, to cause vibrations in the soul.”

As I wander among
These paintings from the past
In flickering light
I find myself pulled inside
Their colorized world
Where paintings meet poetry…


Savor these painting…slowly…and there are scores of them at: photos.app.goo.gl/JinMXUCTkji1Yz8P6

It was indeed quite difficult to photograph them in darkness and I was keen to avoid using the flash from my regular camera. Two of my friends who accompanied me were kind enough to shine light from their mobile phones for me to have a glimpse  so that I could photograph them with my iPhone!

Look forward to your comments here…and not in google photos!
48 Comments
Krithika
6/1/2020 11:01:43 pm

Brilliant pictures!!!! What hidden wonders! Kudos for the iPhone photography, the assisted phone lighting and the wonderful description.

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/1/2020 11:14:30 pm

Thanks! Indeed it was an onerous task not just to have a glimpse of these paintings, but also trying to photograph them!

Reply
Brunda Amruthraj
6/1/2020 11:13:17 pm

Beautiful pictures. Through these Blogs I have gained so much knowledge and your writing makes very good reading

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/1/2020 11:15:06 pm

Thanks Brunda! The journey of discovery continues!

Reply
Gopal
6/1/2020 11:47:45 pm

It’s an awesome inspiring photograph of murals of ancient times at a temple in Tirunelveli
Your efforts are laudable
Enjoyable to us
Rare to see and photograph too
Ggk

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 12:12:03 am

Thank you Gopal!

Reply
Ajit
6/1/2020 11:57:11 pm

Fascinating. The sketch quality varies a lot, as does the coloring schemata but the range of topics is really vast!
The imported horses on the ship were to me unique!
You mention the joint armies were defeated by the Vijayanagar forces, but not sure who joined Varman..
A good study in history apart from new aesthetic panorama. Thanks.

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 12:20:58 am

Thansk Ajit. Not just the horses, but also the elephants look majestic and are exquisitely decorated too! Varma was joined by Tumbichi Nayaka and Saluva Narasimha Nayaka!

Reply
Rukmini
6/2/2020 01:02:25 am

Such an amazingly detailed mural preserved for centuries. It must have been even more exquisite and beautiful in person. The story of this temple and the battles transported me back into that time when kings and gods roamed the earth. Thank you for sharing this experience with us!

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 01:25:52 am

True...as I remarked, it was a transformative experience.These beautiful works of art were created during the time of royal patronage who held the power...Only wish that those who field the power realize the futility of erecting monumental sculptures rather than sustaining traditional artistic heritage

Reply
Bala Fischer
6/2/2020 01:54:30 am

Sir, what a wealth of art you have shared with us - fascinating. Moreover, your narration is superb. You are an amazing all-round teacher we are blessed with. Thank you.

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 04:54:53 am

Thank You Bala!

Reply
Dr Nanda Rajaneesh link
6/2/2020 01:57:07 am

I am amazed with your discovery of these wonderful hidden treasures. But for you I wouldn’t have known about these. Hindu religion contributed so much to socity on way of life through art. We forgot these because of advance in technology.

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 04:55:13 am

Thanks Nanda!

Reply
Ramakrishnan venugopal
6/2/2020 05:41:30 am

Excellent. These are unknown facts to me. You should have spent lot of time and energy on this subject. Wonderful. Keep posting articles.

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 06:45:16 am

Thanks! Wish I had spent days and not hours here!

Reply
DR HARISHA DELANTHABETTU
6/2/2020 06:26:39 am

Sir,
Very nice. thanks for the information.

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 06:45:31 am

Thanks Harisha

Reply
Shabbir Amanullah
6/2/2020 10:00:15 am

The incredible art work in temples are easily one of the most understated and underrated art forms in the world
One can spend hours soaking in the beauty
Thanks for posting

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 07:26:25 pm

True Shabbir!

Reply
ganesh mudraje
6/2/2020 10:53:21 am

Your art of narrating the whole story of Nayak's mural paintings is really fantastic Sir.
It's really heartening to know the deapth of your knowledge with regard to beuty of art.
It's equally highly appreciable that you are documenting your pleasant experiences of visit to such beautiful places of ancient arts.

In a lighter note...I am improving my English language by reading your posts.
Thanks for enlightening and enriching me🙏😊

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 07:29:12 pm

Art works like these are national treasures and need to be preserved and preserved well. It might be a good idea to have photographs and videos of these so that people can view them. I shudder to think of the impact on these if hordes of people ascend these tiers to view them.

Reply
Meena
6/2/2020 06:43:45 pm

Just outstanding. Will go visit this temple after reading this. Beautiful writing and photographs.

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 07:30:24 pm

Thanks Meena. All good wishes...as it takes lots of efforts even to get a permission, not to mention the tasks of viewing them!

Reply
Poornima
6/2/2020 07:03:07 pm

Amazing find! The artwork is stunning, will definitely visit this temple. Thanks for sharing

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 07:31:34 pm

Thanks Poornima. As I had mentioned earlier, it is not an easy task to get all the required permissions and clearances to view them. All good wishes!

Reply
Sangeetha Madhu
6/2/2020 10:29:46 pm

Dear Sir ,
Thank you so much for the virtual tour of these exquisite paintings!Truly appreciate your efforts in capturing those moments from the past ,for this visual treat and the details from history.

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/2/2020 10:44:19 pm

Thank you Sangeetha

Reply
Manasi
6/3/2020 11:05:12 am

It's a delight to read your blogs, uncle! Wonderful stories 😊

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/4/2020 05:53:13 am

Thanks Manasi!

Reply
Komaralingam Balakrishnan
6/4/2020 12:01:15 am

I enjoyed your fantastic experience through your beautiful description. It really takes one to the time period of the painting. I went back to my school days of visit to the Brihadeeswarar temple at Thanjavur with my father and thanks to his efforts we went into the corridors which have such beautiful murals and usually not available for the public. May be because they are in an enclosed space that they are preserved well and pronay would have lost the original beauty if exposed to the vagaries of the weather. Enjoyed your experience. Thanks.

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/4/2020 05:56:41 am

Thanks Balu. Being in an enclosed space and that too one which is difficult to access has ensured that these paintings remain well away. I was hesitant to post this as I wonder whether there will be more footfalls, more than the space can handle. Yet, I felt the need to document these treasures

Reply
Ravi M
6/5/2020 03:25:18 am

Thirupaddaimarathur is definitely going to be one of my to do things
Have seen murals at trivandrum but was unaware of its existence elsewhere in the south

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/11/2020 06:59:48 am

Those are Kerala murals of a different era Ravi

Reply
Chauki
6/6/2020 04:00:37 am

Fascinating Sir. So detailed,clear with wonderful colors and painted inside gopuram ! Herculean task

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/11/2020 07:00:25 am

Truly a labor of love

Reply
பாவண்ணன்
6/7/2020 07:41:45 am

வணக்கம். திருப்புடைமருதூர் கோவிலைப்பற்றி நான் கேள்விபட்டிருக்கிறேனே தவிர பார்த்ததில்லை. இரண்டு மூன்றுமுறை அம்பாசமுத்திரம் வரைக்கும் சென்றுவிட்டு திரும்பிவிட்டேன். உங்கள் கட்டுரை என் மனக்குறையை நீக்கிவிட்டது. நேரில் பார்த்த அனுபவத்தைப் பெற்றேன். உங்கள் பயணக்குறிப்புகள் அழகான ஒரு கட்டுரையைப்போல உள்ளது. கோவில் வளாகத்தில் உள்ள ஓவியங்களைப்பற்றிய குறிப்புகளும் சுவைபட உள்ளன. மார்த்தாண்டவர்மா போரில் ஈடுபட்டதில் தொடங்கி அச்சுதராயர் ஸ்ரீரங்கத்தில் தண்டிக்கப்பட்டது வரை ஒரு கோட்டோவியமாகத் தீட்டிக் காட்டும் வரலாற்றுக்குறிப்பு சுவாரசியமாக உள்ளது. என்னால் புகைப்படங்களைத்தான் பார்க்கமுடியவில்லை. நேற்று முயற்சி செய்தபோதும் இணைக்கமுடியவில்லை. ஒருவேளை என் இணைய இணைப்பில் ஏதேனும் பிரச்சினையா தெரியவில்லை. இன்னொருநாள் அந்தப் புகைப்படங்களைத் தனியாகப் பார்ப்பேன். தொடக்கத்திலிருந்து கவிதைக்கு நிகராக உ&#

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/11/2020 07:01:03 am

Mikka Nandri! Hope you were able to see the images!

Reply
Joy
6/7/2020 10:07:53 am

Dr. Raguram, Wow ! True efforts and precisely due to folks like you, art is appreciated and continues to flourish.

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/11/2020 07:01:29 am

It is joyful Joy!

Reply
Dr Madhava Rao Mangaluru
6/8/2020 09:04:46 pm

There appeared to be a competition between’The Art & Art of writing’- finally ends up with Tie !
I could visualise the Temple,Surroundings& The Paintings.
It’s Amazing,how it has stood the test of time?How they prepared colours ?
Thank you Ragu🙏🏽

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/11/2020 07:02:17 am

Thankful Madhava! They have been cleaned up and restored to some extent

Reply
Saranya
6/10/2020 09:31:57 am

i could have a glimpse of these murals. Google says, "404. That’s an error. The requested URL was not found on this server. That’s all we know"

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/11/2020 07:02:40 am

Have sent you the link..do have a look!

Reply
K. G. Shyamkrishnan
6/13/2020 08:50:43 am

Thanks Raghu for such beautiful description making feel as though I am really seeing them myself. Also I got to learn so much about these paintings, which I might not have gained even if I had visited personally on my own.

Reply
Dr Raguram
6/14/2020 12:25:42 am

Thank You!

Reply
Alaka Rao
7/22/2020 04:54:45 am

This is indeed a wonderful treasure you have shared here, Dr. Raghram. I enjoyed every moment of savouring every mural presented by you. Thanks for the not so easy effort at photographing them, profiling them, researching about the history and presenting them as an easy take away package for us. I definitely envy your chance at having to have seen them in actuals. While it’s true that art in such secluded, enclosed places will stand the test of time and lesser footfalls will ensure they do, a question remains- What is the use of such art whose beauty cannot reach the common man? Right thing would be to make it available to every common man while ensuring due protection to these riches.

As I went through the photographs, I made some observations. I may be wrong, I seek answers.
• Some colours are used exquisitely only for certain characters showing the importance of those characters: The black used for Ravana with protruding eyes (nine heads with nine pairs of hands are depicted), the dark bluish green Vamana (with his one leg lifted up in the air and the little Vamana depicted below), the bright greenish Narasimha (with the lifeless body on his lap), the bright blue for Vishnu and Rama.
• It is interesting to note that the human figures in profile, have both the eyes, giving a sense of frontal image. But the animals are in total profile, eyes included. The only animal figure in frontal is the white cow (seen in two murals).
• The outlining in certain murals suggests that the mural is incomplete. They were supposed to be filled with colour as seen in the other murals.
• There are three murals in succession in your photographs. In all three, the face of the horse which the rider is riding is cut, while the face of the horse at the back is seen in the same frame. Reason? Was it difficult to get the face of the horse in the same frame?
• There is a mural of few pregnant ladies dancing around pyres? What does it suggest?

Dr. Raguram, you made my afternoon today. Thanks for sharing this treasure with the world.

Reply
Dr Raguram
7/22/2020 10:31:27 pm

Thanks for your detailed note Alaka. True these priceless treasures must be accesible to the common man. And therein lies a tale.Since they are in very small spaces, they cannot sustain lots of footfalls. We are also aware of the way people often treat these paintings. I had seen the effect of this in another place in the same region. All the murals in that place have been defaced with people scribbling on them.Personally I would favor that for these murals to last the ravages of human presence, it is best to restrict the viewing to those who are passionate about them. The process of obtaining permission can be more streamlined to make it easier. BTW I had a very tough time to get the permission! As regards the colors and their variations, my feeling is that several artists might have been involved in its execution and each of their creative imagination has found expression in these murals! It was indeed to get those horses you mention in a single frame. Photographing them with mobile phone lit by light from two other mobile phones in a confined small place has its own limitations:-) I am not sure as to why the pregnant ladies were dancing around the fire! There are no mythological explanation for it! In fact there is hardly any detailed documentation tracing their historical/mythological significance!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Dr Raguram

    Someone who keeps exploring beyond the boundaries of everyday life to savor and share those unforgettable moments....

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    May 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly