Sculptures are for sure a feast for eye. You can readily imagine how fascinating they would be if they depicted stories out of an epic such as Ramayana and that too in wood. ‘Daru’ sculptures of Kalpathooridam Bharadevatha Temple, near Perambra in Kozhikode, epitomize the beauty of minute wood sculpture work which was crafted centuries ago. The depictions are seen at the roof of the east gate of the temple.
Though the archaeology department has adopted the wood works of the temple as their monument, not much publicity has been achieved by the excellent craft.
On the east gate, the roof has been divided into three. On the first part, the story of Ramayana is depicted beginning from the ‘Puthrakameshti’ - the ‘yagna’ King Dasaratha performed for begetting children - till the ‘Seetha swayamvaram’.
On the second part, ‘palazhi madhanam’ - churning of the milk ocean - has been depicted while the third narrates discrete stories such as ‘Dakshayagam’ and ‘Kiratham’ through its depictions.
“It is believed that the sculptures were crafted five hundred years ago by a famous sculptor Sankaranasari and his son from Kothuparambu in Kannur district,” said E P Balakrishnan, a temple committee member. “There is not even a single written document available about these particular ‘daru’ sculptures. It is surely a wonder that the craft work has been survived such long years and looks really fresh even today. The perfection of the work is evident as the painting of the sculpture has not lost its sheen.”
“The daru sculptures also stand as the symbol of unity between the Saivas and Vaishnavas as the temple itself is of Saiva sector and the depictions are glorifying Vishnu and his incarnations,” he added.
The sculptures are minute in size and are very closely arranged. “This is a very rare visual treatise. Adequate measures have to be taken by the authorities to creatively protect and renovate the work. More and more people should know about this. The excellence of work of the former carpenters have to be proudly upheld,” opined E Unnikrishnan, the main priest of the temple.
Meanwhile J Reji Kumar, Director, Kerala State Archeology Department, said that the renovation of the sculpture would be conducted next financial year.
“Local people are very much interested. We have planned to carry out the chemical conservation and structural consolidation of the same. Apart from the particular sculpture, renovation activities will also be extended to the craft works on the front portion of the temple complex,” he said.