Lepakshi

Etymology: One of the folklore dictates that the Lepakshi temple got its name after one of the instances from the Hindu epic Ramayana. It is said that in the scene where Jatayu gets slain by Ravana while rescuing Sita, this is where Rama enters the scene to heal Jatayu, but before he does Rama says, 'Le, Pakshi'/'Rise, bird' in Telugu.

Origin: Virabhadra or Lepakshi temple, is located in the Lepakshi village of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Location: The temple of Lepakshi is based unevenly along the rocky hills of Kurmasailam which translates to 'the Tortoise Hill' in Telugu.

Relevance: Lepakshi wall paintings tell a story of the Hindu culture whilst showing influences of the eras that it was conserved in as well. These storytelling forms are essential as they document the cultural integrity, expression, shift, and root of an art style.

Historical Background: Since the Lepakshi temple paintings are from the hilly regions of Andhra Pradesh, the influences of lush greenery surrounding the area are very evident in the compositions. The South Indian painting styles of the Chola and Vijayanagara dynasties are seen greatly impacting the art style of the paintings, carved pillars, and temple architecture as well. One can see the colour scheme of the Chola dynasty and the intricate line work and attention to detail which is the hallmark of the Vijayanagara dynasty in Lepakshi painting.

Culture and Societies: These wall paintings depict scenes from Hindu epics and 'puranas', which were then worshipped as these were elaborate temple paintings. The priests would recite religious hymns and perform 'aartis' every early morning and evening before sundown.

Religious significance: The Vijaynagra influence can be seen in how the human figures are painted, especially how their faces and clothes are detailed. The wall paintings exclusively depict Hindu 'Puranas' and epics since the rulers under whom the conservations were done were Hindu rulers, although some of the figures in these scenarios are seen to have Islamic miniature influences as well.

Legends: Among many myths that surround the origins of the Lepakshi temple, one local legend dictates that its existence dates back to the era of the Hindu epic Ramayana. It is said that this temple was built by 'Pandit Agastya to calm Veerabhadra, the fiery offspring of Lord Shiva.

Central motifs and their significance: The central theme for these wall paintings pertain exclusively to the Hindu epic Ramayana, animals, flora, and fauna. Panels are covered reflecting specific scenes from the Ramayana such as the depiction of marriages between Lord Shiva and Parvati, Arjuna winning Draupadi's hand, and Shiva and Parvati playing the game of dice. These panels were preserved majorly in the 16th century by Vijayanagara Dynasty.

Mediums used: Natural elements like clay from the river bed were used to prepare plaster with other elements such as red mud/soil, and limestone; these powder-based elements were combined by using honey or liquid molasses.

Style: The style of Lepakshi temple paintings matches the Vijayanagara paintings. The figures drawn are slender, elegant, and sharp with significant focus given to their clothes, hairstyles, headgear, and jewellery. Tremendous detailing was worked into depicting the pleats of the 'dhotis', 'sarees', and tunics. Their facial features were pleasingly integrated with the elongated almond-shaped eyes, a full/round face and a well-structured nose.

Intricate and filling floral prints were painted on the clothes, whereas the borders were filled with abstract patterns of flowers, stylized versions of plants, and rounded geometrical shapes. The background is reddish-orange and the main colour scheme is earthy since the pigments were made from vegetables, mud, and perishable minerals like limestone. Colours such as earthy black, red, yellow-ochre, green, white, and grey were applied to paint these granite slabs.

Process: These wall paintings followed an array of meticulously thought-out steps to create these works of art. Firstly the granite slabs were prepared by scrubbing them to smoothen the surface, after which the surface was coated with a layer of plaster which was a mixture of sandy clay, red mud, and limestone. These ingredients were all in powdered forms which were then bound together by either adding honey or liquid molasses. The third step would be to level the surface to three millimeters, which then would be ready to be painted upon. Sketches for the paintings were drawn preliminarily with red ochre powder which was later filled in paint.

Over the years the erosion of these paintings has become evident and the most influential factors have been environmental elements such as cobwebs, moss, dirt, nests, and insect cocoons and external factors such as lighting the camphor lamp too near the paintings and having 'aartis' that would have the oils and soot fixate on the ceiling.

These illustrations now appear in Kalamkari paintings and are used as prints on various products such as sarees, home decor products, woodcut block prints, and canvases.

1. Dallapiccola, A.L., Brigitte Khan Majlis, Michell, G. and Fritz, J.M. (2019). Lepakshi: architecture, sculpture, painting. New Delhi, India: Niyogi Books.

2. Michell, G. (1995). Architecture and art of Southern India: Vijayanagara and the successor states 1350-1750 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.