VIVEKANANDA KENDRA PATRIKA TEMPLE INDIA

of this corridor we have a lovely panel on instruments as the ekkalam, kombu, tavil
the theme of Brahma performing the utsava and so on. Chaturmuka Brahma offers
for the Ranga Vimana in Satyaloka. Painted worship to the Vimana in the presence of
in similar style and following a similar pattern Indra, the Navabrahmas,
in distribution is the Rama Pattabhisheka, Swayambuvamanu, Daksha and various
where Rama is seen gifting the Ranga other minor deities. Brahma is painted in a
Vimana to Vibhishana. This scene is at the golden ochre and in the company of
north-eastern area of the corridor. The Saraswati who is represented in white. She
Mahatmya portrayal ends with the wears a delicate floral designed saree in
illustration of the present temple complex. green and yellow with jewellery very much
Each incident is presented as a panel and in the Vijayanagara style. Her hair is braided
each panel is further sub-divided into with pearl strands. Brahma holds in his
sequences which are supported by Telugu hands the akshamala, the kamandalu and
labels that seem to follow the Telugu literary a palm leaf bundle. In delineating the story
text of the Mahatmya of Bhairava. With of the Ranga Vimana from worship by
the co-ordination of the text and the Brahma to Rama the artist fragments the
painting we are able to reconstruct the episodes and covers these as a series of
sequence of the Sthala purana paintings. panels.
The Sreeranga Mahatmya is like any other In the sequence where the artist has to
temple legend and the theme of this text cover the concept of worshipping the
is to unravel the cause of the descent of Ranga Vimana, the knowledge of which was
Vishnu as Ranganatha to Srirangam on the a part of the oral tradition, he employs the
Kaveri. The concept of the artist has been method of miniature portraits of the men
to break the literary work into small involved. The artist therefore explains how
episodes to depict them in a narrative style the knowledge was passed on from Brahma
that is easily recognised by the devotee. through Soorya to Vaivasvattamanu and
The system adopted is quite similar to that thence to Ikshuvaku by a set of iconic
of illustrated books and manuscripts. This portraits with labels to explain this oral
idea is obviously borrowed from the art tradition of knowledge. On acquiring this
school. knowledge, Ikshuvaku feels a great desire
In the western corridor we have Brahma to possess the Ranga Vimana from
receiving the Pranavakara Vimana from Satyaloka. Following the literary text of
Garuda. With his wings spread out, Garuda the Sreeranga Mahatmya, the muralist
holds aloft the Vimana to Brahma who goes back to an episode covering the
places it squarely on all his four heads. meeting of Narada and Maheshvara. On
Brahma is portrayed in all these paintings Narada’s enquiry, Maheshvara explains how
with four heads represented in linear the Ranga Vimana would pass to
aspects. He is followed by heavenly deities, Ikshuvaku’s hands and later how it would
brahmanas and rishis. The musical come to reside on the banks of the Kaveri.
ensemble is led by Tumburu who is Narada therefore becomes instrumental in
accompanied by the asuras playing on such giving the viewers a quick synopsis of the

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future of the Ranga Vimana. Narada is other ornaments and a golden pancakacha
painted white, wearing a short deer-skin antareeya. Kama’s efforts are futile. He
antareeya and carrying a kinnari veena. withdraws from the scene and stands
Maheshvara is also painted in a lustrous dejected before Indra. His retinue who are
white and in conversation with Narada his also shown in the scene, stand with their
hand is held in oyakyasma mudra with the hands in vismaya. In contrast, Indra is
other hands carrying the parasu and mriga. painted in tarjani hasta, i.e., an expression
He is in sukasana in the company of Uma. of anger. Indra mounts his white elephant,
Uma is painted in green, her ornaments Airavata; an umbrella is held behind him.
are delicate and there is gentleness in her Indra flings his vajrayudha at Ikshuvaku.
face; her forehead has a neatly applied In the same sequence Ikshuvaku serenely
vibhoothi mark. The story is conveyed by continues his ekapada-tapas with a gentle
the Telugu labels or captions below each smile on his face. Above his head is a
panel. While we are able to identify the glowing Vishnu chakra that crushes the
central figures as Narada and Maheshvara, vajrayudha of Indra. Indra is painted a
their connection to the Sreeranga golden colour and placed against a red
Mahatmya tale is however furnished by background when mounted on the white
the label and not from the pictorial Airavata.
composition. Indra approaches Brahma who is in the
Taking up the thread of the Mahatmya, company of Sarasvati. They are seated in
the artist pays meticulous attention to sukhasana and within a mandapa and
Ikshuvaku’s penance for the Ranga Vimana. Sarasvati is playing on the veena. Brahma
Ikshuvaku informs Vasishta, his kulaguru, advises Indra to withdraw graciously in
of his intention to perform Hari-pooja prior favour of Ikshuvaku, as in each manvantara
to the severe penance that he plans to the Ranga Vimana was destined to leave
undertake. The king in the presence of this Satyaloka for the redemption of man.
rajarshi is portrayed in in his royal regalia. In the next sequence, Brahma performs the
Ikshuvaku is then shown as an ascetic, ashtanga namaskara to the Vimana and
unshaven with matted hair and wearing a gifting it to Ikshvaku, departs on a white
darba antareeya, We gather from the hamsa. The Ranga Vimana, delineated like
painting that ekapada tapas, i.e., penance, a small shrine i.e., like a mandahasa, is
standing on one foot with hands raised placed on the king’s head. Carrying the
above the head in anjali, ·was the way to Vimana, Ikshuvaku, departs for Ayodhya
conduct the penance during the yaga. accompanied by Indra and others.
Ikshuvaku is attended by his wife. In each composition, the artist places
To break Ikshuvaku’s concentration, Indra emphasis on a central figure. In a
despatches Kama. Kama accompanied by composition of Brahma, Sarasvati and Indra,
the celestial nymphs and other devas, Brahma is painted as tall as the panel
arrives on a green parrot firing five flower division, the Devi, two thirds of Brahma’s
arrows on Ikshuvaku from a sugarcane bow. size and Indra three-fourths of Brahma’s
Kama is painted in green, wearing a kireeta, height. It is by following a certain ratio

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proportion that he is able to emphasise achieve their purpose of bringing him to
the degree of importance to be given to the banks of the Kaveri. Vibhishana would
the character in each composition. be mainly instrumental in this move.
With the pratishta of the Ranga Vimana On hearing this, Dalbya tells Dharmavarma
on the banks of the Ayodhya, the story who is in penance on the Chandrapush-
shifts for a brief point of time to the time karani, to give up his tapas, as in the
of Dasaratha. It is here that the important Kaliyuga, Ranganatha would reside at
character of the Mahatmya is introduced Srirangam. The story switches back to the
and it is Dharmavarma Chola of Nicilapuri battle between Rama and Ravana ending
who is also mentioned in the Koil-Ozhugu with the death of Ravana. The painter
in the same context. He forms the human reserves a large mural space to portray
element that is responsible for getting the Rama’s Pattabhisheka.
Ranga Vimana to the banks of the Kaveri. The Pattabhisekha, attended by a large
Watching- Dasaratha performing the gathering, witnesses also the gifting of the
Asvameda yaga in the Tretayuga, Ranga Vimana by Rama to Vibheeshana.
Dharmavarma is overcome by desire to The minor figures around the Pattabhisheka
emulate Ikshuvaku and obtain the Ranga
Vimana. Retiring to the banks of the
Chandra-pushkarani-teertha on the Kaveri,
Dharmavarma commences his yaga.
At this point, the literary text makes a
considerable digression from the main
theme and covers a sub-plot woven round
a certain Dalbya Rishi. The painter, following
very closely the literary tradition, also
digresses suitably to delineate this episode.
Dalbyadu of the Telugu labels is disturbed
in his penance by Vyagrasena. The rishi
invokes Narayana to protect him.
Vyagrasena, painted in deep yellow ochre
with canine teeth and pock-marked face,
throws a broad sword at the rishi. In the
same area, applying the technique of
continuous narration that is frequently
followed by the Nayaka artists, the artist
delineates the demon lying dead killed by
Vishnu. Vishnu on Garuda is hailed by all
the rishis and is dissuaded by them from
returning to Vaikunta. At this juncture, he
informs them that in the Rama-avatara
that he would be taking shortly, they would

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