[Hindu] Vanishing wall paintings
MGGPillai
The Hindu, Chennai, India
02 April 2006
Vanishing wall paintings
A. SRIVATHSAN
Neglect and insensitivity have taken their toll on the 17th century
Nayak murals, spread across 35 temple sites in Tamil Nadu.
A PLACE under the temple gopuram, partly sunk under the street and
with a dusty road at the eyelevel is not our idea of a tailor shop.
But to Mani and his wife in Srirangam, this 12 sq. ft. shop comes
cheap and, if it is any consolation, has the best view of the 17th
Century mural paintings on the ceiling. If you want to have a good
look at the painting, you have to step down into their shop, crouch
between two sewing machines and look up between the vehicles that
whiz past. Even then, you may not get to see the splendour of colours
or the figures of the paintings. These 17th Century Nayak paintings
were once brightly painted and splendidly detailed, but they are now
covered with soot and moss. To add to the woes, electrical lines are
anchored on the painting and tube lights fixed right in the centre of
the panel.
To some, heritage seems worthy only if it is ancient. In India, any
art or architecture that is less than two hundred years old does not
seem to draw attention unless it is colonial. While ancient and
medieval art have been extensively looked at and cared for, the
post-15th Century art languishes. One of the worst cases of neglect
is the murals of the Nayak period in Tamil Nadu.
The Nayaks were military generals appointed by the Vijayanagar kings.
They were located in Madurai, Vellore, Ginjee and Thanjavur to
administer the vast territory. When the Vijayanagar kings were
decimated in the battle of Talikota in 1565 C.E., these generals
became powerful and autonomous. They ruled the many kingdoms till the
end of the 18th century.
Signifcant contributions
The Nayaks made many contributions to the art and architecture of
Tamil Nadu. The most significant of them are the sculpture-columns
and labelled murals. Prof. Balusami, who is currently involved in the
documentation and analysis of Nayak paintings, estimates that there
are hundreds of murals spread across 35 temple sites. Well-known
amongst them are Srirangam, Chidambaram and Kanchipuram. But there
are hosts of lesser-known places like Tittakudi, Thirupudaimaruthur
and Natham.
The word "mural" takes its meaning from the Latin root murus which
means wall. It is used as a prefix to distinguish wall paintings from
others. Traditional Indian texts has a three-fold classification:
bhumika, bhitti and prastara — floor, wall and ceiling respectively.
Murals in South India, for that matter in India, are not the fresco
type of paintings. The term fresco usually refers to the buon fresco,
or "true fresco", where colours mixed with water are painted directly
on wet plaster. When the plaster dries the painting becomes part of
the structure. The other is called fresco secco, or "dry fresco". The
painting is made on a dry plastered surface. Here, the painting,
though done on a wall, is a separate layer and not as permanent as
the true fresco. Most of the Indian murals, including the Ajanta
murals, are painted on dry plaster.
Nayak murals are on various themes. In a few places, they illustrate
stories from the Puranas. In a few others it is the temple festival.
In temples like Srirangam and Chidambaram, the origins and the plan
of the temple are drawn. Hagiographical accounts of saints and
processional vehicles of the temple are also frequently painted.
Tending towards a folk style
Nayak paintings tend to be folk in style. The human figures do not
seem to follow classical proportions. Men appear with potbellies and
almost real-like. They are also excessively decked with ornaments. In
a few paintings, the figures have their eyes extended in a peculiar
way, jutting out of the profile. The trees and foliage are kept
simple and the background kept minimal. The story is narrated in a
series of panels, separated from each other and laid in sequence.
Most of the paintings carry either Tamil or Telugu labels. The
sequencing and layout of the panels appear like filmstrips ready to
roll.
These paintings were done on fine plastered lime wall. The brick or
stone surface were plastered in two layers. The top-most layer was
finished fine and the painting was done after the plaster dried.
Vegetable and mineral colours were used along with vegetable gum for
binding. The brushes were presumed to be bristles made from banyan
roots.
Substantial damage
Most of these paintings have been damaged substantially. The worst
affected are the ones on the ceilings. Dr. Jeyaraj, Curator, Chemical
Conservation and Research Lab, Madras Museum, attributes four reasons
for the damage: salt action, abrasion, smoke from rituals and moss
created by the dust and humidity. The salt action is due to water
seepage through the gaps in the stone ceiling. Abrasion results when
the paintings are cleaned using hard brooms or sand blasting.
But, insensitivity and neglect cause the maximum damage. Many temples
and their administrators are not aware of the value of the paintings
they posses. At times, temples resort to white wash as a quick method
of cleaning up. This damages the painting for good. Recently, the
Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department has taken
initiatives to educate their executive officers about the heritage
value of these paintings. What need to be followed are a detailed
inventory and a conservation plan.
Restoring these murals would amount to restoring art to the public
realm. In a world where art is something one buys, pubic art such as
these are precious not only for their historical value but also for
what they can do — enthrall, entertain and inform a larger public.
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