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The quality and unique style of the murals at Mattancherry Palace in old Kochi, along with those in as many as sixty other locations in Kerala, are probably the best-kept secrets in Indian art. Most are on the walls of functioning temples; they are not marketable, transportable, or indeed even seen by many non-Hindus. Few date from before the sixteenth century, depriving them of the aura of extreme antiquity; their origins may go back to the seventh century, probably influenced by the Pallava style of Tamil Nadu, but only traces in one tenth-century cave temple survive from the earliest period. Castaneda, a traveler who accompanied Vasco da Gama on the first Portuguese landing in India, described how he strayed into a temple, supposing it to be a church, and saw "monstrous-looking images with two inch fangs" painted on the walls, causing one of the party to fall to his knees exclaiming, "if this be the devil, I worship God". Technically classified as Fresco-Secco,Kerala murals employ vegetable and mineral colors, predominantly ochre reds and yellows, white and blue-green, and are coated with a protective sheen of pine resin and oil. |
Their ingenious design, strongly influenced by the canonical text, Shilparatna,incorporates intense detail with clarity and dynamism in the portrayal of human (and celestial) figures; subtle facial expressions are captured with the simplest of lines, while narrative elements are always bold and arresting. In common with all great Indian art, they share a complex iconography and symbolism. Non-Hindus can see fine examples in Kochi, Padmanabhapuram, Ettumanur and Kayamkulam. Visitors interested in how they are made should head for the Mural Painting Institute at Guruvayur. A paperback book, Murals of Kerala,by M.G. Shashi Bhooshan (Kerala Govt Dept of Public Relations) serves as an excellent introduction to the field.
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