Each and every temple in India has an interesting story woven around it. For instance, the main idol in Thyagaraja temple at Thiruvarur is fully covered with flowers with only the face visible. Therein lies the fascinating story of Mucukunda, who is said to have brought the idol of Thyagaraja to the temple. I heard that a series of paintings dating back to 1660s narrate this episode in the Devasiriya mandapam in the temple precincts. Having a keen interest in the murals of this period, myself and Ahalya went over to Thiruvarur last month to catch a glimpse of them. Thanks to our dear friend Dr Chandrasekhar we were able to gain access to it.
Devasiriya mandapam was enveloped in darkness when we entered it and we were welcomed by hundreds of bats flying all around us. The floor was littered with layers of dust and bat droppings and the stench was quite overpowering. It was quite disheartening to see the condition of the place, which quickly gave way to one of sheer enchantment when we looked up at the ceiling. Each and every inch was painted in myriad colourful hues, recounting the mythical story of Mucukunda and how he brought the idol of Thyagarajaswamy to Thiruvarur. Legend has it that the idol of Thygaraja was resting on Vishnu’s chest in the cosmic ocean, moving in tandem with the Lord’s breath. When the demon Varkaliyan continuously troubled Indra, he sought Vishnu’s help. Vishnu handed him the idol of Thyagaraja and asked him to perform pooja to this idol to help him win the battle. With this, Indra was able to vanquish Varkaliyan. Later when another demon Vala bothered him, Vishnu told Indra to seek the help of the mythical Chola king, Mucukunda who had a monkey face. Thanks to Mucukunda’s help, Vala was trounced in a fearsome battel. A delighted Indra took Mucukunda to his abode and offered a boon to Mucukunda for helping him win the battle with the demon. Indra was stunned when Mucukunda asked for the idol of Thygaraja. He asked Vishwakarma to make 6 similar idols. The next day, Indra asked Mucukunda to pick any one of the 7 idols hoping that he would not be able to distinguish the real one. To his great surprise, Mucukunda was able to identify the original idol, which had a distinctive smiling expression. Delighted with his devotion, Indra handed him all the 7 idols. Mucukunda took the idol of Thygaraja and installed it in the sanctum of the temple at Thiruvarur. He then took the other 6 idols and installed them at Thiru Kolili, Thiru Kaaraayil, Thiru Maraikkadu, Thiru Vaaimoor, Thiru Nallaru and Thiru Nagai. Together, these are referred to as Saptha Vidanga Kshetrams. The word "Sapta" means "seven" in the local language, while "vidanga" means "not chiselled.’ The seven Siva Thalams with unchiseled bases were idols of the same image that Mucukunda had received from Indra. It is interesting to note that Ajapa Natanam, a special kind of dance without chanting (A-Japa: unuttered prayer) is enacted with swaying movements when the idol of Thygaraja is taken out in procession. As Vishnu held the idol of Thygaraja on his chest, these movements mimic the swaying of the idol with his breathing. It is performed with seven sacred steps which are believed to represent the seven chakras or energy centres in the human body. Each step is associated with a specific chakra and is said to activate and energize that particular chakra. Dating back to the late Nayaka/early Maratha period, these murals narrate this engaging story in several panels. A portion of these have been carefully restored by INTACH with support from Prakriti foundation. This entire process has been beautifully documented by VK Rajamani and David Shulman in a monograph. In spite of this important initiative to conserve these priceless murals, it was sad to see the state of the rest of them which are in varying stages of neglect. Seepage from the ceiling, bats and callous human neglect has taken a heavy toll on these precious treasures. I fail to understand why these beautiful murals are kept out of ‘public’ purview. No visitor can deface them since they are on the ceiling. The authorities can even charge an entry fee which can help in proper maintenance of the place. Right now there are more bats than visitors in the place! I photographed these murals (craning the neck up all the time!), in natural light, without flash, thanks to the light sensitive iPhone. I have collated these images in a pdf format and would strongly urge you to have a glimpse of these enchanting paintings. Do mail a request to [email protected] and I would send across the file! Once you have a look at them, come back to the blog and post your comments here!
34 Comments
Akash Balu
10/3/2023 07:14:48 am
Amazing Sir. Really Great
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Dr Raguram Ramanathan
10/3/2023 07:39:59 am
Thanks Akash!
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Dr jagadish
10/3/2023 07:20:37 am
Even after three and half century, the Murals are well preserved and amazing.
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Dr Raguram Ramanathan
10/3/2023 07:40:27 am
True!
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Rajeev Mathur
10/3/2023 08:12:06 am
Absolute revelation to me. Fantastic details. Thanks
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Dr Raguram Ramanathan
10/3/2023 08:33:33 am
Thanks Rajeev
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Malathi Swaminathan
10/3/2023 08:57:54 am
So many things in this is so moving
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Dr Raguram
10/3/2023 08:48:59 pm
Thanks Malathi. As I had mentioned a portion of the murals has been restored carefully. The rest are in bad shape and the place cries for maintenance
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Prachet
10/3/2023 11:07:22 am
Wonderfully narrated with all the intricacies.
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Dr Raguram
10/3/2023 08:49:19 pm
Thanks Prachet!
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Krishnamurthy
10/4/2023 04:42:47 am
Wonderful depiction Prof Raghu…Thanks for sharing this amazing revelation about Murals 🙏
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Dr Raguram
10/4/2023 05:38:09 am
Thank you
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Joshy
10/4/2023 05:05:20 am
Amazing treat indeed! Can feel your passion to take all these pics from ceiling!
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Dr Raguram
10/4/2023 05:38:44 am
Thank you..felt inspired in spite of a painful neck!
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SATISH KUMAR SOFAT
10/4/2023 05:11:30 am
Amazing write up. Narrated with all details. Thanks
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Susha
10/4/2023 05:21:51 am
How interesting! And the painting is so enchanting…
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Dr Raguram
10/4/2023 05:39:26 am
They are truly enchanting!
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Lalitha
10/4/2023 05:37:34 am
Lovely descriptions of murals wish heritage takes good care of the murals very interesting
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Dr Raguram
10/4/2023 08:53:16 pm
That is the most disheartening fact Lalitha
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Ranjini Rajgopalan
10/4/2023 07:14:18 am
Your deep passion and love for art in its myriad forms is evident in all your posts. All your posts put me on the path of learning, transporting me into different worlds each time! So many interesting details and also supplemented with pics of wonderful paintings!!!
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Dr Raguram
10/4/2023 08:53:47 pm
Thank you...I am still a learner in many ways!
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Pamela Sunawala
10/4/2023 09:55:24 am
How absolutely delightful! You definitely broaden our horizons! Thank you for sharing.
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Sathya
10/4/2023 10:11:41 am
Thanks for sharing Dr! The murals are stunning and I can't believe that these are in the ceiling - how much time and effort would have gone in capturing these. Your writing, as usual transports us to different places / eras, Thiruvarur, 1660s in this instance.
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Dr Raguram
10/4/2023 08:54:46 pm
Thanks Sathya. I only wish that they are taken care of better
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Shaji KS
10/4/2023 10:18:00 am
Loved every frame. ...These pictures are so vibrant....a treat for the eyes and the mind. ! Recall seeing some what similar pictures published in Life Magazine...during my childhood. But then.. ..they were more about Kings Queens.and Palaces..horses...more North Indian. ..in style...May be those were from the walls of some palaces of Rajasthan.....It is really remarkable that these artists express themselves so well and make their art contextual and lovable .... Can see lot of movement ....action in many pictures... only masters can do those moving figures....Thanks Ragu for the sheer delight in viewing these pictures....do write to the concerned state authorities to do a better job at preserving these . Pleas ask them to allow people to see these pictures...... I am serious...Do write to the concerned. May e somebody up there is waiting for a letter to start acting..most of the time the system works that way... I am sure that there is some one in the administration wanting to act...a prompt will be most appropriate....👍 Regards
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Dr Raguram
10/4/2023 08:57:44 pm
Thanks Shaji. I keep trying to draw attention to the need to conserve such murals. I wrote to the chief minister, local minister and the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu about a set of murals which are in dire need of protection. Not a semblance of reponse
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narayan t v
10/4/2023 06:19:10 pm
Beautiful! Loved the images and really enjoyed your narration. Thank you for sharing Doc
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Dr Raguram
10/4/2023 08:58:00 pm
Thanks Narayan
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Sudarshan C Y
10/4/2023 07:04:34 pm
You have a passion for mythology, architecture, history, culture, nature which drives you to go to any length to study , enjoy and propagate them.Thoroughly enjoyed the murals. Felt very sorry for the dilapidated state of the structure. Our youth should be encouraged to appreciate such things so that some volunteers come forward to maintain these invaluable structures.
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Dr Raguram
10/4/2023 08:59:49 pm
Thanks Sudharshan. It is so important to increase awareness of such riches of our heritage. Mucukunda figures in many mythological stories, each with a different narration!
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Manju
10/4/2023 10:24:13 pm
I would love to see those shots that you took of the ceiling with that amazing mythology depicted on the ceiling. Thanks for sharing a colorful mural that is wonderful!
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Dr Raguram
10/4/2023 11:30:06 pm
Sure..I will send them across
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Bhaskar Jayaraman
10/5/2023 06:23:28 am
I remember you sharing your bitter-sweet experience soon after visiting this temple - of such enchanting art amidst an environment of squalor !
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Chauki
10/8/2023 06:28:38 am
Stunning murals Sir. Those intricate details done on roof little over three centuries ago are difficult to believe As usual your passion and persistence have brought them to our view, more than 80 in the file and many more in need of care, sincerely hope respective departments take care of them before it’s too late. Paintings have come up so beautifully in your camera that it’s hard to believe they were clicked in such situations with natural light. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
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Dr Raguram
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