CHENNAI, May 23, 2008: An ambitious project to conserve more than 200 ancient
paintings in the Siva temple at Kalakkad in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district is to be undertaken soon by the REACH Foundation, a non-governmental organization.
The paintings on the inner walls of each of the nine tiers of the temple’s gopurams are about 400 years old and resemble those of the Vijayanagara and Nayaka school of the 16th/17th century CE. The initiative will also strengthen the 185-foot tall gopuram to stop seepage of rainwater and mend most of the 1,500 stucco figures that adorn it on the outside.
“The movements of the art on these murals is so superb that they look like modern techniques,” Dr. Satyamurthy said. They have an influence of Chola school of murals. These masterpieces provide a wealth of information on contemporary life in terms of costumes and ornaments worn by kings and commoners, hair style, musical instruments, and so on.