THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The centuries-old exquisite murals that adorn the walls of the Lord Siva temple in Ettumanoor now paint a sorry picture, due to neglect and ‘official vandalism’ by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the temple. Art historians say the 18th-century paintings on the inner and outer walls of the temple gopuram are priceless specimens of the Dravidian tradition of mural art.
The Ananthasayanam on the northern wall of the western entrance is the largest mural discovered in Kerala. It measures 580cm in length and 247cm in height. The painting is of Lord Padmanabha reclining on his serpent in the company of his consorts Sree Devi and Bhoodevi. The TDB, however, found the wall suitable to fix the electrical control panel and related installations of the temple. Electric wire pipes are seen nailed over the painting on one side. The wall front is where utensils are stacked.
There is no barrier or restriction in place to go near these murals, making things easier for vandals. More vulnerable are the paintings on the outer walls of the gopuram. A painting there depicts Lord Krishna’s ‘vasthrapaharana’ featuring four gopikas pleading to him to return their clothes. The groin of the gopikas are seen scratched to white by some miscreants.
The Ettumanoor murals attained international fame through European art critic Stella Kramrisch, who described them in two of her books, says historian MG Sasibhooshan. Nataraja (dancing Siva) on the southern side of the inner wall is the most outstanding among the paintings, says Sasibhooshan who authored “Murals in Kerala” a noted compendium. “The central figure is the 16-armed Lord Siva. Besides some sages, nine characters are portrayed in it --- lords Maha Vishnu, Indra and Brahma, Siva's consort Parvati, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Kali, Ganapati, Kartikeya and the nandi (Siva’s bull),” he says.
Raman Namboodiri, an 18th-century artist hailing from Karikkad village near Manjeri, and his disciples are thought to have drawn the murals at the Siva temples in Ettumanoor and Vaikom. The murals in Ettumanoor were subject to an amateuristic repainting in 1952 and were professionally reconserved in 1992 “Professional repair and conservation works are to be adopted. The TDB should desist from any adventure on them. Also, the murals deserve a place in the protected monuments list of the State Archaeological Department,” he said.