Mural Painting

Mural painting, which dates back to the Paleolithic period, may be seen on caves, tombs, and ceilings across India, especially Kerala. These paintings, based on "fresco secco," attach natural colors and pigments to dried plaster. Jataka story paintings from the Ajanta caves in Maharashtra date back to the seventh century. Murals are thought to have existed in India since the second century. Famous mural paintings may be discovered in caves, the palace walls of Indian and Mughal monarchs, and temples, where they were held sacred and depicted mythology.

Indian mural painting has a long and famous history, dating back to the 2nd century BC and continuing until the 8th and 10th centuries AD. Murals from this period may be discovered in over 20 places around India, the majority of which are natural caves and rock-cut chambers. Mural paintings are beautiful and magnificent in places like Ajanta, Armamalai Cave, Ravan Chhaya Rock Shelter, Bagh caverns, Sittanavasal caves, and the Kailasanatha temple in Ellora. Almost all of the paintings are situated in natural caves or rock-cut chambers.

In India, mural painting primarily featured deities, nature, or societal subjects such as "Nitya karma" (preliminary daily activities as stated in religious literature) and forbidden matters. Visual art has been used in politics and the formation of ideologies, and mural art, like other forms of art, showed a variety of these issues. These paintings were either created by artists freely expressing themselves or by authorities or the public in order to promote beliefs. The vishnudharmottara, silpasastra, and other works demonstrate the diversity of Indian art.

• Massive: They are unique because of their sheer size. They are not able to fit on paper.
• On Walls: It should be painted on the walls of caverns and temples.
• Major Themes: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
• Organic: They stand out for their organic link with architecture and public relevance.
• Beautification: Mural paintings' color, style, and topic may significantly impact the impression of space.
• It is three-dimensional, so they alter and occupy spaces.
• Natural Materials: For the creation of color pigment, they use natural resources like terracotta, chalk, red ochre, and yellow ochre mixed with animal fat in ancient Indian mural painting.
• Stories of Nature & Buddhism: The subjects were human and animal figures, hunting, family scenes, court life, deities, and Buddhist 'Jataka' tales.
• Ancient:The works of art were created by ancient painters who have skilled hands and sharp eyes.

• The Ajanta Cave Paintings are among the oldest surviving murals in the Indian subcontinent, sculpted from volcanic rocks between the 2nd and 5th centuries AD.
• There are 29 horseshoe-shaped caverns with murals from the Shunga and Gupta dynasties. Murals and fresco paintings made using tempera colors can be found in the caverns.
• The paintings depict human values, social fabric, fashions, clothing, and ornaments from the time period, with emotions expressed through hand movements.
• Each female figure has a distinct haircut, and even animals and birds are shown with feelings.
• The prevalent themes include Jataka stories, Buddha's life, and intricate decorative patterns of flora and animals.
• The paintings were made using vegetable and mineral dyes, with figures outlined in red ochre and contours in brown, black, or deep red.

• Caves IX and X have the oldest paintings, including a surviving group of a king and attendants. The paintings show Jataka stories of Buddha's former lives, Gautam Buddha's life, and Bodhisattvas in tribhanga stance.
• Cave No. 1 has paintings of the Dying Princess, Shibi Jataka, and Matri-Poshaka Jataka.
• Cave No. XVII depicts Buddha's visit to Yashodhara's dwelling and her meeting with the Great King.
• The mother of the Buddha, Maya Devi, is portrayed as a feminine beauty.
• Various Brahmanical figures, including Indra, are represented.
• A pink elephant is depicted on a ceiling decoration from cave No. XVII, which dates back to the sixth century AD.

• Ellora Caves, also known as Verul Caves, is a rock-cut cave complex in Maharashtra, India, including over 100 caves, 34 of which are available to the public.
• The caverns are made up of 17 Hindu, 12 Buddhist, and 5 Jain caves.
• The caverns were built with the support of Rashtrakuta monarch Krishna I and are dedicated to Lord Shiva.
• The mural paintings were created in two stages: the first during the cave carving, and the second several centuries later.
• The paintings portray Vishnu and his consort, Lakshmi, as well as a procession of Shaiva holy men.
• These artworks are linked to all three religions (Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism). Ellora Cave paintings are more recent than those found at Ajanta Cave.

• Buddha is depicted in Vyakhyana Mudra in Cave No. 10, a Buddhist Chaitya cave also called Vishwakarma Cave or Carpenter's Cave, with a Bodhi tree carved at his back.
• Cave No. 14 is called "Ravan Ki Khai".
• The Dashavatara Temple is located in Cave No. 15.
• Jagannath Sabha (Cave 33) and Indra Sabha (Cave 32) are two well-known Jain caves.

• The Bagh Caves are nine rock-cut monuments located near Bagh town, Madhya Pradesh, India.
• They were excavated by professional craftsmen and feature murals on the walls and ceilings of Bagh's Viharas, which are still visible in Caves 3 and 4 (remains can be found in Caves 2, 5, and 7).
• These paintings are materialistic rather than spiritualistic, with more finely formed figures and a bolder contour.
• The ground was a reddish-brown grainy, thick mud plaster, which was lime-primed.
• Rang Mahal, or Cave No. 4, includes exquisite murals illustrating Buddhist Jataka tales similar to those found in Ajanta. Although sparse and deteriorated now, these paintings represent religious topics in light of modern lifestyles, making them more secular in nature.

• These natural caves, located in the Vellore area of Tamil Nadu, were turned into a Jain temple in the eighth century.
• Within the cave, there are unbaked mud buildings that served as a resting spot for Jain saints.
• The stunning, colorful paintings on the walls and roof illustrate stories about Astathik Palakas (deities who protect the eight corners) and
• The cave's paintings are created using two techniques: fresco and tempera. They resemble the paintings from Sittanavasal Cave, another old Jain cave in Tamil Nadu, and Bagh Caves, an ancient Buddhist cave in Madhya Pradesh.

• The famous rock-cut cave temples in Tamil Nadu, dating from 1st century BC to 10th century AD, are known for their Jainism-based paintings.
• These murals, resembling Bagh and Ajanta paintings, are found on the walls, ceiling, and pillars, focusing on the Jain Samavasarana (Preaching hall).
• Some scholars attribute the caves to the Pallava period, while others attribute them to the 7th century renovation by the Pandya ruler.
• The paintings were done using vegetable and mineral dyes, with common colors including yellow, green, orange, blue, black, and white.
• The central element of the paintings is a pond with lotuses, with flowers collected by monks and various animals.
• The ceilings depict a lotus tank with natural images of men, animals, flowers, birds, and fish, representing the Samavasarana faith.
• The audience hall, known as Samavasarana, is a beautiful space where Tirthankaras deliver sermons after reaching realization.

• The ancient fresco paintings on a rock shelter in the form of a half-opened umbrella are known as the Sitabinji Group of Rock Shelters, also called the Ravana Chhaya Mural Rocks, and are situated in the Keonjhar district of Odisha.
• This refuge is thought to have functioned similarly to the regal hunting lodge. The picture of a royal procession from the seventh century AD is the most striking.
• The remnants of paintings from the Chola period, which dates to the eleventh century, are also significant.

• Situated in the Andhra Pradesh district of Anantapur, these mural paintings were created in the sixteenth century on the walls of the Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi.
• They were created during the Vijayanagara era and have a religious theme based on the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and Vishnu avatars.
• The paintings exhibit a total lack of fundamental colors, particularly blue. They show a fall in the caliber of paintings. Black is used to outline the shapes, figures, and details of their costumes.

• It is a man-made cave in Chattisgarh's Surguja district.
• It is thought to have been created between 1000 and 300 BC and contains a few paintings and Brahmi script inscriptions telling a love story.
• It is believed that the paintings were created to adorn the space, and the cave is an addition to the Paintings feature dancing lovers as well as fish and elephants.
• There's a clear red outline around the paintings. There were additional colors used, including white, yellow, and black. Nearby lies Sitabenga's rock-cut theater as well.

• Badami is a complex of Hindu and Jain cave temples in northern Karnataka,
• It was the capital of the early Chalukyan empire from 543 to 598 CE.
• It is known for its sculptures and magnificent paintings, including one of the earliest surviving Hindu murals.
• Paintings completed during King Mangalishwara's reign.
• Vatapi caves were painted with murals inspired by Puranas, with most surviving murals depicting Shiva and Parvathi.
• An inscription in Cave No.4 mentions 578-579 CE and the dedication of
• Paintings portray palace scenes, such as Kirtivarman, and share stylistic parallels with Ajanta paintings from the sixth century CE, indicating the artist's maturity.

• Cave 1: Oldest cave with paintings of Lord Shiva as Nataraja and Shiva and Parvati with a coiled serpent.
• Cave 2: Dedicated to Lord Vishnu and his incarnations.
• Cave 3: Inspired by Brahmanical forms with giant Vishnu avatars.
• Cave 4: Based on Jain ideology with a large image of Lord Mahavira like Paravasudeva, Bhuvaraha, Harihara and Narasimha.
• Built at least 100 years after the first cave.

Indian mural paintings have a rich history and can be found in over 20 locations, including natural caves and rock-cut chambers. They date from the second century BC to the eighth or tenth century AD. The life of Buddha is portrayed in the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, while Hindu mythology is given life in Kerala's temple murals. Murals in palaces are a feature of the Rajput and Mughal traditions, whereas Ellora mixes Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu motifs. In Bagh, secular life is reflected; in Armamalai, Jain narratives are portrayed; in Odisha, royal processions are portrayed through Ravan Chhaya. India's rich mosaic of cultural expressions is exhibited by these many traditions, which retell tales from the ancient era to the Vijayanagara and Nayaka periods.