MURAL PAINTINGS OF KARNATAKA
Mural
Paintings of Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ
ಭಿತ್ತಿ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳು)
are not as well known as the architectural and sculptural marvels of the
same state. Hubert Knox found some rock engravings and cave paintings in Kigali
of Karnataka. Later in 1915 Leonard
Munn, an English officer was moving about in the forested hill ranges of Hire
Benkalgudda. ( Gangavati taluk., Raichur district, now in Koppal
district) He happened to discover three caves with drawings and monochrome
paintings. They contained line drawings of animals such as deer, pea-cock, bull
and many human beings, with flat paints filled in. These drawings belong to the
early decades of the Christian era. The Ramapura caves near Anegondi have some
crude drawings with out any painting. There is a line drawing of a tiger on a
rock near Ankalagi MaTa of Chitradurga district. Similarly, artists have chosen
other surfaces such as clay pots and vats. A pot belonging to the copper age
found in a village called satti in
There are three
categories of rock art: bruising caused with a stone, engraving with a sharp
stone or metal tool and paintings.
Almost all the paintings of this period are mono chrome. In
When
we move on to historic period instances of murals are few and far between. The
third of the celebrated caves of Badami dedicated to Vishnu contained a few
paintings modeled on those of Ajantha and Ellora. These were described and
analyzed by art critics such as Thomas Munroe, Bird,
The
next stage of mural painting in Karnataka encompasses the Vijayanagara period
and the reign of the Bahmani and Adilshahi Sultans. The Jamia mosque and Asar
Mahal in Bijapur and a bathing ghat in a near by village called kamatagi
contain a few murals painted in the 17th century. Some of the
artists hailed from Europe and some more were influenced by that style.
Consequently many portraits resemble their European counterparts. The paintings
are predominantly blue and most of them are floral decorations. This school is
known more for its miniature drawings and drawings made in books rather than
murals.
Vijayanagara period
constitutes a watershed in the history of murals in Karnataka. Krishnadevaraya
who built a mandapam in front of the sanctum of the famous Virupaksha temple
embellished it with Vijayanagar style bas releifs and murals. Several of
Shiva's manifestations, (Tripurantaka) and the ten incarnations of Vishnu are
portrayed here, as is the classic scene from Mahabharata depicting Arjuna's
shooting the ‘fish device’ (matsya yantra) in order to secure Draupadi's hand
in marriage. There is also a mural depicting Vidyaranya the spiritual leader of
Vijayanagar in procession. Most of these paintings have mythological/historical
themes, even though the details are contemporary.
Lepakshi in Andhrapradesh is
another repository of Vijayanagar style murals. Lepakshi houses the
Elsewhere in the Lepakshi
temple are paintings depicting the incarnations of Vishnu.
The Vijayanagar ruler's
patronage extended deep into Tamilnadu and the brilliant murals in the Srirangam temple
are yet another feature in the never ending display of art treasures in a vast
temple complex that is also a repository of ancient worship traditions. In the
innermost circumambulatory passage in the Srirangam temple are 300 year old
paintings depicting scenes from the epics.
After the fall of
Vijayanagara Empire the art of murals passed on to
Further
1.
www.hindu.com/.../stories/20041022000406400.htm
(An article and a few murals)
2.
ssubbanna.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/12/the-l...
(An article and a number of murals)
3.
www.hindu.com/.../stories/2008061851020200.htm
4.
ssubbanna.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/12/the-l...
(An article and many good murals-LEPAKSHI)
5.
‘Murals
of Karnataka’ by B.V.K. Shastry,