Kerala Murals

Art is in the blood of man from the beginning stages of civilization. It began as a medium to communicate and preserve the events. It has no language but expressions. Every piece of art in Kerala tells us a story. Vibrant colours and dramatic details bring to life stories you have perhaps heard from your grandma or read in your favourite Amar Chitra Katha series.

Kerala murals are known for their emphasis on beauty, clarity and symmetry.

Accentuating dramatic elaborate costumes and rich ornamentation, these murals are somewhat similar to dance forms like Kathakali.

Murals were used to depict religious and mythological stories, and predominantly in temples.

Artists have to follow strict codes that govern the depiction of figurines and expressions, something that is followed even today.

Lets read some "History"

The history of Murals in Kerala can be traced to the seventh or eighth century AD. Indian Mural in its primitive form was done and can still be seen on the walls of the Ajanta and Ellora caves. They were done by the early Buddhist monks. Later the style of art spread towards the southern part of India especially to Tanjore, and from there to Kerala. One could say that the tradition of painting on walls began in Kerala with the pre-historic rock paintings found in the Anjanad Valley of Idukki district. Archaeologists presume that these paintings belong to different periods from the upper Paleolithic period to the Early historic period.

In Kerala, this form obtained a very distinctive and classical form that is unrivalled and unique compared to any other form of Mural around the world.Though the art form developed as a temple art, it soon spread its wings and became universal. The Murals of Kerala bear the stamp of uniqueness in aesthetic composition and technique. Kerala has the second largest collection of archaeologically important mural sites.

Originally, Kerala murals were a pure form of devotion, eulogizing Hindu gods and events and scenes from their domains. It is noticed that most of them were done in those places in palaces and temples where the common man couldn’t easily see the picture.Hindu God-Guruvayoorapppan(incarnation of Krishna)Artist:A. menon

Hindu God:Durga Artist:A.Menon

It is perhaps to create a genuflecting atmosphere that temples, palaces and churches in Kerala decorated their walls with intricate chumarchitrangal (murals) that told stories from the Mahabaratha, Ramayana, Puranas and the Bible.

Ancient places like Padmanabhapuram, Krishnapuram and Mattancherry are enriched with murals. One of the most fascinating works of mural art is on the walls of the Mattancherry Palace at Kochi which was probably executed in the late sixteenth century. It’s the Ramayana epic that seamlessly unfolds in the palliyara (royal bed chamber) on the upper half of the walls while the border is covered with simple textile designs that mural artists call "veeralli pattu".

Mattancherry Palace

Temples and churches in Kerala have walls decorated with murals. Earlier the intention was not a public display of art for appreciation. Later on, when these palaces and temples were opened up for public appreciation that these paintings saw the light as far as the rest of the world was concerned.

A group of adventurous artists decided to go a step further and use this grand style on canvas, this magnificent style of painting moved form palaces to museums to homes and hotels winning accolades for the grandeur and breathtaking beauty of the rotund figures and blatant colors.

Colors and Expressions
A typical Kerala Mural Painting is done using five colours namely, red, green, yellow, white and black. Blue too has made its presence felt in later murals.
Obtained from natural dyes from the saps of leaves.
Each painting is painstakingly done in five steps.
1.On a white background, first comes the sketching where the deft lines of the artist bring out the contours and curves of the motifs.
2.Outlines are filled with yellow colour leaving the white spaces.
3.Red or green(as they are darker compared to yellow and white) are filled into the spaces where required.
4.The detailing with darker shades of the same colors and finally outlining with black.

The Detailing of the mural painting makes all the difference, for every square inch of the painting, the painstaking work of the artist can seen, the blinding of colors, the transition of shades, the play of light and dark and the intricate lines and curves are distinctive to this style. The shading itself is the hallmark of Kerala Mural Painting and even for the novice; it is easy to identify a genuine Kerala Mural Painting by a casual inspection of the shading and detailing.

The colour schemes in the murals represent certain symbolic characteristics.

The colour scheme is based on the psychological aspects of the characters portrayed.

"It mainly depends on the basic gunas laid down by Hindu scriptures

— Satva, Rajas and Tamas.

Green or blue is usually used for Satvik (pure or divine);

red and yellow for Rajasik (valour, passion, etc);

and black for Tamasik (impure, sinful behaviour, etc),"

Deities depicted in the murals are given colours on the basis of their triple attributes - Sathwikam, Rajasam and Thamasam i.e. Virtuous (the quality of SATHWA)

Krishna with gopis,Blue for Satvik(Pure or Divine),Artist:Naveen
Siva in dancing form ,Natraja,The green represents Pure or Divine,Artist:Naveen

Apsara,Red and Yellow for Passion and valour (Rajasik) ,Artist:Naveen
Ashtalakshmi with Ganapthi,Artist:Naveen

Durga,White and Black - IGNORANCE (Thamasik)Artist:Naveen

The ability of Keralities to restrain emotions is latent in their culture. This outstanding feature is very clearly expressed on the faces of characters depicted in the murals.

Themes

The themes of murals are mostly taken from the epics and the subjects related to religions.

The murals on the outer side of the walls of sanctums and towers represent Gods and Godesses. They embody the qualities characteristics of epic poetry or legends

Credit: Artist Sadanandan ,Church in Thrissur

However this highly stylized art went out of fashion for most part of the twentieth century and it is only in the last decade and half that there has been a renewed interest and revival. Today it is the new age royals- industrialists like Rajshree Pathy, the Chairman and MD of Rajshree Group of Companies, who can enjoy this art in the same manner as the Maharajas of yore. The entrance of Pathy’s home in Coimbatore flow with the paintings of the Dasavataaram (ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu) done by Sadaanandan, Krishnan Mallissery and Ajithan Puthumana.

Wall Mural, Credit: Rajasreepathy Farm House, Home - India Today
Wall Mural,Credit:Rajashreepathy,Farmhouse,Coimbatore,Tamilnadu,2000
Entrance to the Pathy home ,wall murals
Artist:SadanandanWall Mural, Credit: Rajasreepathy Farm House, Coimbatore, TamilNadu 2000
Wall Mural, Credit: Rajasreepathy Farm House, Coimbatore, TamilNadu, 2000
Medium Canvas, Credit: Private Collection of Mr Guru Ramakrishnan, New York

Artist:SadanandanCredit: Artist, Sadanandan


Canvas Medium, Credit: AbhuJani Sandeep Khosle Designers, Mumbai 2002


Medium Canvas, Credit: Abhujani Sandeep Khosle Designers, Mumbai 2002

The Kerala murals if done in the traditional method of treating the walls with the mixture of lime, sand and herbal water and then coating it several times with tender coconut water and lime mixture, then finally painting the mural with the five natural colours can last over a thousand years. But the modern concrete buildings with a lifespan of just hundred years make poor material to house this ancient art. Hence the rapid migration of this art from the walls to other surfaces like canvas and wood.

Image Courtesy:Artist:Sadanandan,Naveen
Literature courtesy:www.keralamurals.in,Panchavarna.in,Home-India today,Home Rejuvenation.

A Heritage Hotel at Fort Kochi

To tell you all some thing about the much acclaimed Kochi,
Fort kochi is one of the main urban components that constitute the present day City of Kochi in the Indian State of Kerala, the other two being Mattancherry and Ernakulam. The most accepted theory is that the name derives from kochazhi which, in Malayalam, denotes "small lagoon".A major flood in AD1341 threw open the estuary at Kochi,till then a landlocked region turns into one of the finest harbours of the world.

* The first part of the name Fort Kochi comes from the fort, Fort Emmanuel, behind which the Portuguese built their settlement and a wooden church, which was rebuilt in 1516 as a permanent structure and which today is known as the St Francis Church.

* Fort Kochi remained a Portuguese possession for 160 years. In 1683 the Dutch wrestled from the Portuguese and held as their possession for 112 years until 1795, when the British took control by defeating them.
* Four hundred and forty four years of foreign control of Fort Kochi ended in 1947 with the Indian independence.
* A mix of old Portuguese, Dutch and British houses from these colonial periods line the streets of Fort Kochi. *Kochi is a jewel in the crown of Kerala with its true heritage.

The Heritage Hotels in Kochi are actually the heritage mansions, landmarks or Havelis of some great men of the by gone era. These people have passed away leaving behind these huge houses at the perusal of the admiration of the guests. Since ages they have added on to the list of awes and myths in the minds of the tourists but presently these mansions or royal palaces have been transformed into heritage hotels so as to make it possible for the tourists to enjoy a short living in those enormous mansions.

Today
Let me share about a heritage hotel of my interest"The Malabar House" Cochin.It is ahotel worth to be admired for its beauty.Has been on my mind since 2007,when i read about it in the TIME magazine,when it got mentioned in the feature of "The Best of Asia"It is one of the the finest chain of small boutique and villa hotel in Cochin.The decor,the build ,the courtyards are amazing.To see it is just like a dream come true."Malabar House" Cochin is part of Fort Cochin's historical fabric.
Some History:
Its recorded history dates back to 1755, when Jan Herman Clausing, a Dutch, bought the property from Mathew Henrich Beyls. Subsequently owned by spice traders, tea traders and bankers, it became 1996 Fort Cochin's first boutique heritage hotel.
The Malabar House Cochin is located in the heart of historical Fort Cochin, opposite St. Francis Church.

Enjoy the interiors
Traditional Lamp welcomes you into the interiorsLounge

Amazing views of the coutyardPerformances are within the stone pillarsCourtyard at duskView of poolNight performance of Kathakali and MohiniyattomBedrooms


Swings outside the roomsDining areaAt night

The photos might have refreshed you for sure,eventhough there wasn't a lemonade in your hand.

(Images courtesy:www.malabarhouse.com,keralatourism.org,www.justbookit.com.
All Images are subject to copyright of Malabar house.Please dont use any images otherwise)

Relish the summer in courtyards

The long cherished dream of starting a decor blog starts here today.Thoughts of summer and courtyards in my ancestral home, where we used to spend most of the time in summers,push me towards writing the first post on courtyards.Memories still afresh.And when I recall these memories,as I go along life's way,I find they grow more precious still,with every passing day.

Summer is here to explore many wonders of the world.Drift yourself to a dreamland sitting in the courtyards,as summer days come closer.With this you also do get an idea how to make your courtyard a focal point.

Let me brief you on the history of courtyards
Climatic changes on an organization are apparent since 2000 BC during which the basic principles of a central court with rooms all around it emerged.Major permanent concentrated populations arose, in the Tigris/Euphrates region of ancient Mesopotamia, the desert coast of Peru at Chan-Chan, the Thar Desert crossed by the Indus River in what is now India, and Egypt of the Nile. In all these arid-region urbanized agricultural centers, the courtyard house emerged as the basic house form.Excavations and studies by scholars reveal that the built form in those times had central open- to- the- sky spaces in the Mohenjodaro and Harappa.The houses had no windows facing the street,but concentrated on the courtyard.These houses may have depended on courtyards for light and ventilation.Evidence of the high degree of crystallised forms of the period indicate that the genesis of the idea of the courtyard could easily be traced back to thousand years before Harappa.The essence of the space has remained unchanged over thousands of years and the years to come.Today, throughout the arid regions of the world, the courtyard house remains a sensible, satisfactory, and preferred solution.The courtyard is therfore a timeless spatial element of Indian Architecture;it continues to be still valid today as before.

This design element (courtyard) is now a reference for new type of construction and planning. Courtyard style is a splendid design called by names – haveli, wada, deori or nalukettu.

Most of the domestic architecture in India is organised around courtyards.

Even in the desert communities where nighttime winter temperatures reach freezing, the daytime temperatures are sufficiently moderate that this courtyard can become an active and usable living space.

It provides a safe outdoor play area for young children and a safe outdoor sitting area for adults and the elderly.

Courtyards of Rajasthan

Simply rooms without roofs

In India, in their construction there occurred a sharing between Hindu and Muslim designs. Muslim havelis included in their designs the chajjas and brackets and the Hindus freely used the cusped arch.
Often yet unprotected becomes the heart of living.The walls provide a portion of shade on atleast some part of the courtyard throughout the day.
Maximising number of habitable rooms that face the the courtyards,the major portion of the house is afforded a sunny outdoor space. Visitors stopped at the outer courtyard where the baithak, siiting place, usually was. Beyond this was the sequestered zenana, women’s area around the inner courtyard.
Traditonal South Indian courtyards:See the air of elegance in themThey become a place for growing plants and placing decor items

Over head shading can be provided by planting trees and vines
Courtyards become the living room of the house both literally and figuratively



Japanese courtyardsChinese courtyardsCourtyards of Modern houses become the epicentre of showcasing new designs,becomes new design symbol




Image courtesy:gharexpert.com,archistud,www.homedesigning.com/interior-courtyards,Meghal Arya and Home review.