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,