Murals
are essentially artwork painted on walls, ceilings or any huge stable surface.
Mural painting is an art somewhere flanked by fine art and house painting.
Mural paintings in India date back to times immemorial. Painting murals is
fundamentally associated to Indian painting traditions. Murals are considered
as the first evidence of Indian paintings discovered from the ancient
civilization remnants. Flamboyant murals adorn numerous temples in India as a
part of the intricate tapestry of ornamental work which has evolved through the
ages. Murals adorning the temples portray legendary and mythological figures
and their epic battles and life stories. Antique Indian religious artwork is
greatly recognized for the Indian mural paintings of Kerala. Ancient Buddhist
and Hindu stonework figurines carved into caves and sides of cliffs from many
centuries are also celebrated.
Earliest
Evidence of Murals
The
stunning frescoes painted on the caves of Ajanta and Ellora, on the Bagh caves
in Madhya Pradesh, Sittannavasal in Tamil Nadu and caves of Badami in Karnataka
are earliest evidences of murals. They are celebrated for their linear styles
as well. In ancient scripts and literature, numerous evidences of mural
paintings are there. According to Vinaya Pitaka, the then kings, traders and
merchants were painted on the palace walls. Also plentiful references in
antediluvian texts are there about galleries maintained by rulers and kings.
Colors
of Murals
Colors
for mural paintings in India were derived from natural materials like chalk,
terracotta, red and yellow ochre mixed with animal fat. Pigments of paints were
from local volcanic rocks, lamp black was the exception.
Animal
glue and vegetable gum was used which made these paintings suffer from insects
and caused to flaking and blistering. Contours of figures stood out boldly in
later paintings. Deep color washes were used for the same.
Subjects
of Mural Paintings
Subjects
incorporated in murals were figures of human beings and animals, family scenes,
deities, court life, hunting, and stories from Jataka. The ancient painters
created the murals with skilled hands and perceptive eyes. Ajanta paintings are
a classical example of such paintings as they display crowded compositions,
decorative motifs, figure types and details of costumes.
Mural
Paintings of India
Eastern
India is loaded with countless evidences of wall and panel paintings
elucidating Budhhist and non-Budhhist themes. In Arunachal Pradesh and
Tripurasublime significant mural works have been found. Wall paintings in Alchi
and Hemis monasteries in Ladakh are famous; Spiti Vally in Himachal Pradesh is
recognized for its Buddhist paintings in the Gomphas of Tabo Monastery.
Ajanta
Murals include statues of deities, animals and guards. These murals date back
to the 2nd century BC. Maratha murals are also fashioned under the
Mughal traditions. They used oil as medium.
Punjabi
Murals were introduced during the reign of the Mughals. They are unique in
their own way. Beguiling murals embellished on the walls of palaces and forts
ofAkbar and Jahangir display the influence of Persian styles. The Mogul
painting greatly influenced the Rajput School of painting. Wall paintings in
Bundi, Deeg, Ajmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur and other places in Rajasthan are
moderately convincing.
In
North India, murals at the Vishnu Temple, Madanpur in Lalitpur district of
Uttar Pradesh (12th century AD) expose the dexterous hands of the
painters. South India is luxurious in mural paintings. Murals reached the top
during Cholas, Vijayanagaras and Nayakas.
Bijapur,
Hyderabad, and Golconda schools were influenced by the Mughal traditions and
then by European expression. Amongst the biggest murals ever painted in Asia is
at the Veerabhadreswara temple at Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh in South India.
This mural is on the ceiling of the shrine. Murals of Kerala are flamboyantly
depicted on the walls of temples and monuments. These murals illustrate the
traces of European similarity.
Mural
paintings in India are the classical form of art. Patches of light colors used
to highlight the expressions of the characters of the murals. Illusions of
depth in the murals were created by various innovative ways. They were painted
in stages as first the outline was drawn, then colors were applied and contours
were renewed. These paintings are a great source to display the richness of art
forms and variety that enriched Indian art.
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