First Stage: Lekhya Karma – Stage of

sketching using a pencil or crayon. initially

yellow used fifor outlining after red used

to detailing the sketch

61
 Second Stage:

Rekha Karma –

Outlines made on

the sketches
T hird Stage: Varna Karma - Painting with colours

of the human figures depending on the characters

and common qualities. Green is used to represent

divine and noble characters (Saatvik);

62
 T here is an

order in mural

painting .yel-

low,red,green,blue

and black.black is

used for outlining

the figure, its called

“mashiezhuthu” in

malayalam. shades

of red represents

power and wealth

(Raajasik), lowly

mean characters

(tamasik) are

depicted in white

and demons in black.

Spice and Paddy

grains are also

used for colouring.

63
 Fourth Stage: Vartana Karma - Shading is done. Fifth

Stage: Lekha Karma -Final outlines of the painting,

usually painted in black.

Sixth Stage or the Final Stage: Dvika Karma - T he

final and the finishing touches are done to the painting.

mural artists they prifering shades in different ways.

most of the mural shadings are based on the dot way

.(colour is pointing by using the edge of the brush.),the

fifinal process isthe eye opening.in malayalam “kannut-

heliyikkal”fi

A painter depicts images of gods and goddesses

embodied in myths, texts, hymns, meditations, etc.,

in order to create an image, with the dimensions

and colors necessary for them. T here is much to

be done while doing the painting of god.it is said in

our puranas that we must obey these rules. T hus

creating paintings in this way the artist could have

good things in the future else it can harm the same.

“Salakshanam chithramushanthi danyam

Deshasya karthurvasudadipasya

T hasmath prayathnena salakshanam thath

Karyam naraithna parairathavath”

64
Men and women in mural painting

T he mural depicts five masculine features and four female features depicted in the sree

Vishnu Dharmarotta Purana .padmini, chithrini, shangini, and hasthini are used in the female

sketching.the female characters belonging to the padmini category has

narrow breast . characters in Ashtalaksmi, saraswathy,Parvathy etc

comes in thesecategory.T he characters in chithrini category has

narrow waist and round breast .dancers ,sakunthala ,seetha devi

,hamsadamayanthi etsbelongs these category.T he characters in shangini

category has longface and Neck with conical shape and strong body.women in

the ajantha paintings belong these category.T he characters in hasthini category

has fat body is natural.dwara kali,the monsters are belong these category.Hamsam

,badram, malavyam, ruchakam, etc are the male featers.Hamsam chategory of men

belongs to attractive colored eyes, moon-colored and round hands, a beautiful face, a

beautiful waist and a strong body.A man of good fortune is a man with a lotus flower,

rounded hands, bearded hair and a noble face belong to the badra category .ministers ,

gandarva,gods etc are in these category.

Dark complexion, hands reaching up to the knees,

a fat body and a puffy nose are belongs to malavyam category. T he monsters,kinnara etc

are example of these category.A man with white face and curly neck, strength, intelligence

and integrity are belongs to ruchaka category. Danavar, yakshn etc are example. Red eyes,

red eyes, red eyes and intelligence male belongs to sasaka family. Premauga individuals,

Vaishyas are example.

65
 T hemes and
Styles

T he portrayal of the Hindu pantheon of

gods and goddesses were drawn from
their metaphors in the invocatory verses
or ‘dhyanashlokas’. T he backdrops
these paintings were greatly embellished
with flora, fauna and other aspects of
Style:
T he peculiarities of Kerala Murals are the process of making the colours
with indigenous colours, the order of painting the mural with limited
of
colours and the outlines of “Ra Ra Ra” of the gods and goddesses from
the Hindu pantheon are a treat to the eye.

the nature.
• T he peculiarity of Kerala Murals is the elaborate eye which speaks
Few T hemes noted are:
volumes.

• Shading is predominantly packed with dots depending on the shading

• Anantasayanan, Lekshminarayana,
pattern.
Krishna with Gopis, Nataraja as
• Merely five colours are used; although now blue is introduced.
Dakshinamurthi, Sastha on hunt etc.
• T he backdrop is constantly red.
• T he common themes are of various
• T he background painted in red is coated as per the required shade
incarnations Vishnu, Ganesha and
and is dotted with a mix of red and brown.
manifestations of Siva.
• T he white area is for all time retained with the background coat itself.
• Characters and scenes from Christian
• T hroughout the image as well as at the borders a particular design
mythology.
is used called “Ra Ra Ra”.
• Scene of the battle fought between

the armies of Tipu Sultan and the

English East India Company.

66
Contemporary

Painting

Methodology:

In due course of time,this art has follows: • Turmeric powder

transformed with easily available • Availability of ready-made canvas • Soot

brushes purchased from the commercial • T he drawing is traced out • Acrylic Paints (contemporary painting)

market and the shading of the original • T he outlines are drawn with red (on • Five colours or Panchvarna used are

colours can be distinctively noticed. T he the canvas) yellow, red, green, black and white

use of blue colour is also noticed over • Ready-made acrylic colours are used • Wooden bowl for mixing of colours

the passage of time. A shift from the Water

walls to asbestos, plywood, cloth, paper • Extracts (Juice) of Kadukka (Mussels)

and other frames can be noticed for • Burnt husk

aesthetics and effortless rationale. T he • Tender coconut water

contemporary mural painting consists as • Extracts of Neem tree

67
 G uruvayur

78
T he mural paintings of the Guruvgyiir temple are the best

traditions of the Hindu temple art. T he Kerala region has shared in the

double discovery with difference that this era of neglect has vbeen

much shorter than that of other regions. Occasional items have been

found there going back to ninth century A.D.T hough comparatively

recent in age, these murals have a special significance. In that they

belong to an exclusive school of artists, whose technique and

workmanship is considerably different from other regions.

69
 Behind the guruvayur
mural painting

T he techniques of this painting differ from place to place,

from people to people, from time to time. It mainly de-

pends on the materials found in the vicinity of the worker

and on the capacity to make use of them. T he mural

paintings of the Guruvayur temple are the one of the

traditions of the Hindu temple art. T he Kerala region has

shared in the double discovery with difference that this

era of neglect has been much shorter than that of other

regions. Occasional items have been found there going

back to ninth century A.D. T hough comparatively recent in

age, these murals have a special significance. In that they

belong to an exclusive school of artists, whose technique

and workmanship is considerably different from other re-

gions. T he mural painting of the Sanctum’s exterior wall

profusely covers the Mahabharata stories.

Parts of its left front face painting is fadeless looking on

which mark the name of its own painter. It is to take

on the basis of its niches idols as like of the Vishnu on

the north. . . Siva on the south, and the distinguishing

features of Vishnu on the west. T he figure of Vishnuis

70
71
 in a fully grown diverse scene of His Avatars’. It covers

the early life of Kashna ; sleeping back of the guards

in the palace ; as a baby lying in the cot looking at the

mother; Yashoda’s action of taking Him ; lying on a baniyan

leaf sucking the toe of His leg held by the hand ; as a

winsome boy ; full of fun ; Krishna . a is surrounded by

the friends ; stealing milk and butter from the neighboring

cottages ; fighting with the elephant ; (kdiyamardhanam);

stealing the garments of the gopis ; represented as

comfortably seated on the apex of the tree, and the

slaying of asura by the infant Krishna.

T hen on the western side the painting includes Krishna’s

killing of Kamsa, an elite group which includes Vasudeva,

Devaki and Brahmans. T he peaceful looking painting of

Bhisma’s is in an extremely beautiful sight. T he journey

of rakurama with the axe painted in a true way. Among

these, the picture of the writer of this story - Vylsamuni

is done in a good manner. T he figure of Vaisqavi with

four hands in which the lower right hand and left hand

hold the lotus and the upper right hand chakra, the

left hand sanka are also taken in both west and south

walls. T he landscape full of trees and ponds, is at-

tractively pictured. T he concluding stage of the Yaga is

72
73
 depicted. More rituals and ceremonies are shown. Garuda,

the vehicle of Vishnu, is clumsily presented. While turning

towards the south we can see the figures of the goddess.

T he painting of the Kali is in an extreme divinity. Saras-

wathi striking the best music instrument Veena in a soft

manner, and then ) the sacrament music instrument of the

god Siva are all a good picture. siva is painted here as

like the niche’s idol. siva’s standing under the tree showed

a safari look. T he goddess Vaisnavi of the same manner of

the west is also painted here.

All the pictures are excellent and are suited to the idols

1 niche. T he vahana of Siva is fully satisfactory in its ap-

pearance. T he dress, eagerness, anxiousness, quiteness,

sizes of all are proportional to its colour, body and

climate. T hat is the reason for its interest way of looking.

T he traditional colours used in this art are red ochre,

yellow, green, blue, white and black. Sometimes blue is

also used. T his traditional style mural art form uses

natural pigments and vegetable colours. T he subjects for

the painting, derived from various Vedic texts, are not a

fanciful representation but drawn from the description in

the invocatory verses or dhyana slokas.

74
75
 T he city dwaraka was submerged in the flflesh deluguethat set in. T he idol
History and myths Worshiped by Vasudeva and Devaki Was seen directing in the Water-

of Guvayur
tossed up and down by the mountanious waves .At the approch of Guru

angd vayu , the god of the seas varuna withdraw the water leaving the

Temple idole ashore .Guru picked up the idole and placed up the varu’s shoulders.

and they set out in search of asuitable sacred place.they met parashurama

T hrough mural painting on their way.T hey arrived at the rudra theeram.lord sivs and Parvathy was

already there.

76
siva asked both Guru and vayu to

install the idol and he said this place

will known as ‘GURUVAYUR’ Parasurama

Sangaracharya

77
 poonthanam namboothiri(AD 1547-1640),Auther of ‘NJANAPPANA’......Great

devottee of sree Guruvayurappan...and as a writer of pure malayalam he

stand next to cheiussereri

Manjula was a veru pious Girl be-

longing to the varier cast .every

night she used to comre to the

temple with Garland to the Lord

Melpatture NarayanaNa Battathiri(AD1559-1632)

korooramma great devote of Krishna .Born in the
sanskrit Scholar ,poet angd the Auther of
village of paraurAD1570-1640
‘NARAYANEEYAM’

78
 the big temple fire that was
Chembai vaidyanatha Bhagavadar....
happened in the year 1970 -
great karnatic singer and musician.
nov 29

Prince Manavedan of kozhikkode great scholar and ruler.who com-

posed nad wrote KRISHNANATTAM

79
 Guruvayur Keshavan

80
few paintings of Guruvayur

81
 Institute of Mural Painting

T he Guruvayur Devaswom’s Institute of Mural Painting

was established in the the year 1989. National Diploma is

awarded to students on successful completion of training

for 5 years. Students are given stipend. At present the

center is functioning in the Sathram Canteen Block. It was

a fire mishap in the Guruvayur Temple Complex in the year

1970 that actually paved the way for the setting up of

this institution. T he fire damaged the Sreekovil ( Sanctum

Sanctorum) and the paintings on the three walls were

also destroyed in the incident. When the walls were to be

decorated again with paintings as a part of the renovation,

the authorities found that artists who could do such work

were few. However those artists who were deputed to do

the work like veteran Mural Painters Mammiyur Krishnankutty

Nair, Pattambi Krishna Varier, M.K.Sreenivasan and K.K.

Varier completed the job satisfactorily.

T he authorities, art lovers and artists got

together to think of ways of preserving the mural paintings.

T he result was the establishment of the Institute of Mural

Painting by the Guruvayur Devaswom. T he Institute of Mural

82
Painting at East Nada of Guruvayur temple gives coaching

in mural painting in the traditional Gurukula Pattern. T he five

year National Diploma Course offers training in Fine Arts for

the first two years as a preparatory course after which

the students are given three years specialized coaching

in traditional Kerala Mural Painting. T he qualified candidates

are selected after an aptitude test and interview. T he

selected students are given scholarships and also have free

hostel and mess faculties. T he admission to each batch is

restricted to ten students. Along with studio and practical

work, the prescribed syllabus includes Art history( Indian and

Western) Aesthetics, Sanskrit and silpa Texts. Dhyanasloka

classes are also conducted. Teaching aids include slide films

and visual props. Periodical exhibition of paintings, camps,

workshops , seminars, discussions, study tours etc also

form the part of the curriculum. T he Institute has a good

library. T he late Sri. Mammiyur Krishnankutty Nair, a well

known Mural Artist, was the first principal of the Institute.

After his death, Sri.M.K.Sreenivasan succeeded him..

Now, Sri.K.U.Krishnakumar is the Principal and Chief Instructor

of the Institute. T he course has been intended to revitalize

the invaluable tradition of Mural Art. these exquisitely painted

panels adorns the walls of the institute. T he A collection of

83
 artists of this Institute have been participating and

working at national level exhibition and camps. T he

authorities also accept commissioned work keeping

the rules and regulations of guruvayur devaswom.

T he Institute played an active role in repainting

many Murals as a part of ongoing renovation and

restoration work. Address: Guruvayur Devaswom

Institute of Mural Painting ( Chumar Chithra Padana

Kendram) East Nada Guruvayur

Guruvayur

Institute

Mural

Paintings

84
 Guruvayur Devaswom Institute Of Mural Painting

Bali sugriva ydham

Surasa, Hanuaman Lankadahanam

Hanuman

85
86
Mammiyoor

Mammiyoor Krishnan Kutty Nair. Mr. Nair spearheaded the revival of mural

art in Kerala.

Popularly known as Krishnan Kutty Asan, Mr. Nair was the founder-principal

of the Institute of Mural Painting under the Guruvayur Devaswom (managing

authority of the Guruvayur temple).

T he setting upof the institute was prompted by

the difficulties faced by the Devaswom inrepainting

the fire-damaged ancient murals of the temple. It

was Mr. Nair who led the team that repainted

these murals.T he paintings and drawings done by

Mr. Narare displayed in themural institute.

Established in 1989, the institute has produced several young talents.T he

institute is located near the eastern entrance of the Guruvayur temple.

T he temple, an important pilgrim centre of South India, is in the T hrissur

district of Kerala.
87
 K.U. Krishnakumar, “In Kerala, to some extent, art kept

religious dissensions at bay,” says mu-

principal of the Institute
ral artist K.U. Krishnakumar. “For ex-

of Mural Painting in ample, at a Siva temple in T hrissur,

Guruvayoor you see mural paintings with Vaish-

navite themes. Similarly, at a Vish-

nu temple in Guruvayoor, there are

scenes from Siva Puranam.”

“In 1970, a fire damaged the murals

at the Guruvayoor temple. When the

temple authorities tried to get them

fixed, they found there were very

few mural artists left, with whose

help the paintings were restored.

But the Devaswom felt more people

had to be trained in the art. So

in 1989, with help from the Kerala

Government, the Devaswom started

88
the Institute of Mural Painting. Here, a

five-year diploma in Fine Arts is offered,

of which two years are dedicated to

Kerala mural painting.”

Krishnakumar, who belonged to the first

batch of students, is now the principal

of the Institute. His guru was Mammi-

yoor Krishnan Kutty Nair. “One of the

earliest murals in South India is seen

in the Tirunandikkarai temple in Kanya-

kumari district, dating back to the 8th

century,” says Krishnakumar. “T he period

between the 14th to 16th centuries

is said to be the golden era of mural

painting in Kerala. In fact, critics such

as Stella Kramrisch, Ananda Coomaras-

wamy and Sivarama Murthy have

marvelled at Kerala murals.”

(painting on progress)
89
90