Mural painting artist Gopi Chevayur restoring the darkened and faded murals on the outer walls of the Kumaranallur Devi temple. | Photo Credit: VISHNU PRATHAP Devotees visiting the Kumaranallur Devi temple in Kottayam these days are greeted by a pleasant sight—an expert set of hands skilfully restoring the faded grandeur of the ancient murals that adorn the outer walls of this centuries-old temple.With these intricate murals beginning to darken and fade with age, the temple authorities have entrusted Gopi Chavayur, renowned mural artist, with the delicate task of restoring them to their old glory. These murals, spread across 14 distinct sections known as Chithrakandas, primarily depict vivid scenes from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.“The murals are painted on a natural surface made of a mix of lime, sand, and Cissus repens. The row of murals begins on the right side of the temple, starting with an image of Karthyayani Devi, the main deity,” said Arun Vasudev, assistant manager of Kumaranallur Ooranma, the trust overseeing the temple’s management. According to him, the temple’s history dates back to the 10th century, during the reign of King Cheraman Perumal.The current restoration project, which began on July 19, is expected to be completed next month. Interestingly, this is the second time the temple’s murals are being restored. Mr. Chavayur had first revived the murals in 1997 after they had deteriorated beyond recognition.Three-century-old “I first came to the Kumaranallur temple to restore the murals with my mentor, Mammiyoor Krishnankutty Aasan. At the time, 12 of the 14 panels—believed to have been drawn nearly three centuries ago—were completely destroyed by ageing. We painstakingly recreated those images using the same natural pigments,” said Mr. Chavayur.Having carefully removed the darkened layers covering the murals, the artist is now focussed on creating new natural pigments by processing stones. “This process is time-consuming because the ground stones need be filtered multiple times before they’re mixed with gum made from neem. I expect the retouching work to take another couple of weeks,” he said.Distinct style Art historian M.G. Sasibhooshan, who authored the book, Murals of Kerala, highlighted the importance of lines over colours in Kerala-style mural paintings. “The murals at Kumaranallur, recreated in 1997, strictly adhere to the five traditional colours — ochre red, ochre yellow, dark green, white, and black. Although Goddess Parvathy in these paintings is depicted wearing a jacket and saree— as different from the traditional attire—it is still distinct from the style of Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings,” he said. Published – September 14, 2024 12:07 am IST