Kerala Mural Paintings by Venugopal and Jayachandran (Tatvamasi Mural Art Group)
Kerala mural paintings are traditional frescoes. However, to make them more accessible and also portable, the artists began painting on boards. The Ananthashayanam and Dashavatar series are on boards, but I found that these posed difficulties in shipping to the US, so the remaining paintings were done, at my request, on canvas.
The tradition of mural painting in Kerala is unique in the world, and it is extremely rich with symbolism. Made only with natural mineral pigments, the colors represent the qualities of the three gunas, sattva, rajas and tamas. Sattva is purity, which is usually represented by the colour green; the figures painted with green are those for whom knowledge is the chief characteristic. Those in whom rajas, the spur to activity, is predominant, are painted in golden yellow. Tamas, inertia, the least pure is, curiously, represented by white. The traditional colours used in this art are red ochre, yellow, green, blue, white and black. Sometimes blue is also used.
The subjects, derived from various Vedic texts, are not a fanciful representation but drawn from the description in the invocatory verses or dhyana slokas. Flora and fauna and other aspects of nature are pictured as backdrops, in highly stylized manners.
The traditional style mural art form, using natural pigments and vegetable colours, is being revived by a new generation of artists actively involved in researching and teaching mural art at a mural art school associated with the Guruvayoor temple, as well as at the Sree Sankara Sanskrit College in Kaladi.
There are several videos on youtube about Kerala Mural Painting.
The tradition of mural painting in Kerala is unique in the world, and it is extremely rich with symbolism. Made only with natural mineral pigments, the colors represent the qualities of the three gunas, sattva, rajas and tamas. Sattva is purity, which is usually represented by the colour green; the figures painted with green are those for whom knowledge is the chief characteristic. Those in whom rajas, the spur to activity, is predominant, are painted in golden yellow. Tamas, inertia, the least pure is, curiously, represented by white. The traditional colours used in this art are red ochre, yellow, green, blue, white and black. Sometimes blue is also used.
The subjects, derived from various Vedic texts, are not a fanciful representation but drawn from the description in the invocatory verses or dhyana slokas. Flora and fauna and other aspects of nature are pictured as backdrops, in highly stylized manners.
The traditional style mural art form, using natural pigments and vegetable colours, is being revived by a new generation of artists actively involved in researching and teaching mural art at a mural art school associated with the Guruvayoor temple, as well as at the Sree Sankara Sanskrit College in Kaladi.
There are several videos on youtube about Kerala Mural Painting.
Shiva as Dakshinamurthy
Natural mineral pigments on canvas.
Dakshinamurthy (Sanskrit: दक्षिणामूर्ति (Dakṣiṇāmūrti) is an aspect of Shiva as a guru or teacher of all types of knowledge, especially the knowledge that leads to enlightenment. This aspect of Shiva is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge. This form represents Shiva in his aspect as a teacher of yoga, music, and wisdom, and giving exposition on the shastras. He is worshipped as the god of wisdom, complete and rewarding meditation.
(Dakṣiṇāmūrti) is an aspect of Shiva as a guru (teacher) of all type of knowledge, particularly the jnana. This aspect of Shiva is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge. This form represents Shiva in his aspect as a teacher of yoga, music, and wisdom, and giving exposition on the shastras. He is worshipped as the god of wisdom, complete and rewarding meditation.
There are several different forms of Dakshinamurti. Dakshinamurthy is portrayed as being in the yogic state of abstract meditation - and as a powerful form brimming with ever flowing bliss and supreme joy. Variations of this iconic representation include Veenadhara Dakshinamurthy (holding a Veena), Rishabharooda Dakshinamurthy (mounted on a Rishabha - the bull) etc.
Indian tradition accords a special reverence to the Guru or the teacher. Dakshinamurthy, in the Saivite system of beliefs is regarded as the ultimate Guru—the embodiment of knowledge and the destroyer of ignorance (as represented by the demon being crushed under the feet of the deity). The Jnana Mudra is interpreted in this way: The thumb denotes the God and the index finger denotes the man. The other three fingers stand for the three congenital impurities of man viz. arrogance, illusion and bad deeds of the past births. When man detaches himself from these impurities, he reaches God. The Abhaya Mudra, a gesture with the hand lifted above thigh with palm facing out, fingers pointing, is interpreted as His grace upon His students. The rosary or the snake signifies Tantric knowledge. The fire represents illumination, removing the darkness of ignorance.
The original Wikipedia article is available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakshinamurthy
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Dakshinamurthy (Sanskrit: दक्षिणामूर्ति (Dakṣiṇāmūrti) is an aspect of Shiva as a guru or teacher of all types of knowledge, especially the knowledge that leads to enlightenment. This aspect of Shiva is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge. This form represents Shiva in his aspect as a teacher of yoga, music, and wisdom, and giving exposition on the shastras. He is worshipped as the god of wisdom, complete and rewarding meditation.
(Dakṣiṇāmūrti) is an aspect of Shiva as a guru (teacher) of all type of knowledge, particularly the jnana. This aspect of Shiva is his personification as the supreme or the ultimate awareness, understanding and knowledge. This form represents Shiva in his aspect as a teacher of yoga, music, and wisdom, and giving exposition on the shastras. He is worshipped as the god of wisdom, complete and rewarding meditation.
There are several different forms of Dakshinamurti. Dakshinamurthy is portrayed as being in the yogic state of abstract meditation - and as a powerful form brimming with ever flowing bliss and supreme joy. Variations of this iconic representation include Veenadhara Dakshinamurthy (holding a Veena), Rishabharooda Dakshinamurthy (mounted on a Rishabha - the bull) etc.
Indian tradition accords a special reverence to the Guru or the teacher. Dakshinamurthy, in the Saivite system of beliefs is regarded as the ultimate Guru—the embodiment of knowledge and the destroyer of ignorance (as represented by the demon being crushed under the feet of the deity). The Jnana Mudra is interpreted in this way: The thumb denotes the God and the index finger denotes the man. The other three fingers stand for the three congenital impurities of man viz. arrogance, illusion and bad deeds of the past births. When man detaches himself from these impurities, he reaches God. The Abhaya Mudra, a gesture with the hand lifted above thigh with palm facing out, fingers pointing, is interpreted as His grace upon His students. The rosary or the snake signifies Tantric knowledge. The fire represents illumination, removing the darkness of ignorance.
The original Wikipedia article is available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakshinamurthy
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Dashavatar Series
This is a series of ten paintings, framed, each about 1' x 1', on board, which depicts the ten avatars or incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
The ten best known avatars of Vishnu are collectively known as the Daśāvatara (a dvigucompound meaning "ten avatars"). This list is included in the Garuda Purana (1.86.10"11).
The first four are said to have appeared in the Satya Yuga (the first of the four Yugas or ages in the time cycle described within Hinduism). The next three avatars appeared in the Treta Yuga, the eighth descent in the Dwapara Yuga and the ninth in the Kali Yuga. The tenth, Kalki, is predicted to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga.
1. Matsya, the fish-avatar who saved Manu - the progeniter of mankind from the great deluge and rescued the Vedic scriptures by killing a demon
2. Kurma, the tortoise-avatar, who helped in the Samudra manthan - the churning of the ocean
3. Varaha, the boar-avatar, who rescued the earth from the ocean, by killing her kidnapper-demon Hiranyaksha
4. Narasimha, the half man-half lion avatar, who killed the tyrant demon-king Hiranyakashipu, to rescue the demon's son Prahlada, who was a Vishnu-devotee
5. Vamana, the dwarf-avatar, who subdued the king Maha Bali
6. Parashurama, sage with the axe who killed the thousand-armed king Kartavirya Arjuna
7. Rama, the king of Ayodhya and the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana
8. Krishna, the king of Dwarka, a central character in the Bhagavata Purana and the Mahabharata and reciter of Bhagavad Gita.
9. Balarama, Krishna's elder brother
10. Kalki ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga.
This information is taken from Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatara
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
The ten best known avatars of Vishnu are collectively known as the Daśāvatara (a dvigucompound meaning "ten avatars"). This list is included in the Garuda Purana (1.86.10"11).
The first four are said to have appeared in the Satya Yuga (the first of the four Yugas or ages in the time cycle described within Hinduism). The next three avatars appeared in the Treta Yuga, the eighth descent in the Dwapara Yuga and the ninth in the Kali Yuga. The tenth, Kalki, is predicted to appear at the end of the Kali Yuga.
1. Matsya, the fish-avatar who saved Manu - the progeniter of mankind from the great deluge and rescued the Vedic scriptures by killing a demon
2. Kurma, the tortoise-avatar, who helped in the Samudra manthan - the churning of the ocean
3. Varaha, the boar-avatar, who rescued the earth from the ocean, by killing her kidnapper-demon Hiranyaksha
4. Narasimha, the half man-half lion avatar, who killed the tyrant demon-king Hiranyakashipu, to rescue the demon's son Prahlada, who was a Vishnu-devotee
5. Vamana, the dwarf-avatar, who subdued the king Maha Bali
6. Parashurama, sage with the axe who killed the thousand-armed king Kartavirya Arjuna
7. Rama, the king of Ayodhya and the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana
8. Krishna, the king of Dwarka, a central character in the Bhagavata Purana and the Mahabharata and reciter of Bhagavad Gita.
9. Balarama, Krishna's elder brother
10. Kalki ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga.
This information is taken from Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatara
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Matsya (Fish)
Kurma (Tortoise)
Narasimha (Man-Lion)
Varaha (Boar)
Vamana (Dwarf)
Parasurama
Sri Rama
Sri Krishna
Balram (Krishna's Elder Brother)
Kalki (The Next and Last Avatar)
