Manoj’s ‘single-handed’ murals at Sabarimala bring alive Lord Ayyappa’s tales

His paintings for the Ganapathy temple in Kottarakkara also gained attention.
Manoj painting one of the scenes from the legend of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala Sannidhanam
Manoj painting one of the scenes from the legend of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala Sannidhanam (Photo | SHAJI VETTIPURAM)
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PATHANAMTHITTA: As Manoj Kumar gets busy on his canvas, the wall of a building in Sabarimala, each brush stroke reveals a contour. And the colours transform them into tales of Lord Ayyappa. It is a display of an artist’s dexterous hand at work, except that he does not have a right hand; he does it with his left.

The 40-year-old, a resident of Chekom near Pathanapuram, was born with an ingrown right hand that ends just below his elbow. Despite the heavy odds, Manoj, aka Manu, strove to create images with just one hand.

Coming from a family with limited resources, Manoj’s only survival skill was his art. It was hardly an entertainment for him. During his school days, Manoj drew thousands of images, including banners, wall paintings, and number plates of vehicles for a livelihood.

After Class 10, Manoj pursued a diploma course in arts at the Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Mavelikkara. Despite his exemplary skills, Manoj continued to face hardship, with his paintings fetching only a meagre revenue. He also did jobs like rubber tapping with his lone arm.

Manoj, who was known only within the hilly hamlets of Pathanapuram, gained attention after receiving an opportunity to recreate the iconic imagery of Kollam, as part of the year-long celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the district formation.

Though he was invited to draw deities, Manoj was initially hesitant to take up the task.

“I was apprehensive about drawing with my left hand, worrying if it would be considered inauspicious. But the office-bearers of various temples encouraged me to draw the divine forms, saying that I was specially abled by the almighty,” Manoj said.

As soon as he began focusing on temple arts, he earned acclaim. His descriptive paintings on Dashavatharam, the incarnations of Lord Maha Vishnu, at the Puthen Kavu Maha Vishnu Temple in Pidavoor, Pathanapuram, went viral on social media. Later, he drew for temples including the Plakkad Maha Vishnu temple and the Chathan Swami Kshethram in Pathanapuram, among several others. His paintings for the Ganapathy temple in Kottarakkara also gained attention.

As he excelled in drawing lively pictures of deities, Manoj got an invitation from Travancore Devaswom Board president P S Prasanth to work in Sabarimala. At the hill shrine, he is currently engaged in depicting the legendary tales from Ayyappa Charitham’.

Last Saturday, he began work on an oil painting on the wall of Pandalam Malika, the royal representative building behind the Malikappuram Temple at Sannidhanam.

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