Murals at Ettumanur temple step out of shadows of time

Layer by layer, colorful ancient murals of the Ettumanur Mahadeva Temple have finally emerged from the shadow of time and been brought back to life after a year-long conservation effort.

The conservation work was carried out as per the agreement between Travancore Devaswom Board chairman and Aranmula, managing director of Vasthuvidya Gurukulam. The project was carried out by mural artists led by Kadammanitta Sreekuttan with the assistance of Mannadi Abhilash Kumar and Aranmula Jayakrishnan. The work was carried out under the supervision of Velayudhan Nair, former Director of the National Research Laboratory for the Preservation of Cultural Property.

The murals adorning the inner and outer walls of the temple tower on the south and north sides of the gate are believed to date from the 16th century and once attracted international attention through the writings of European art critic Stella Kramrisch. But over the years, neglect had faded their colors, leaving them vulnerable to vandalism and damage during repair work on the temple.

“In the first phase, conservation work focused on the Ananthasayanam mural on the inner wall near the entrance, covering an area of ​​142 square metres. Other murals restored include Vetta Sastha Aghoramurthy, Vasthraparanam, Venugopalam, twin Dwarapalakas and Veeralippattu. Together, they cover an area of ​​425 square metres, and have been completed in under-conservation phases,” an official said.

The process began with detailed graphic documentation of the Vashuvidya Gurukulam, where each section of the murals was recorded with photographs and videos. In the second stage, the murals and the cobwebs and dust layers around them were cleaned. The third phase involved chemical treatment to remove biological debris, soot, oil and oil stains in accordance with the guidelines of the Archaeological Survey of India. In the fourth stage, foreign substances were removed without damaging the paintings.

In the fifth stage, the weakened lime plaster around the murals was carefully removed and reinforced with freshly prepared lime mortar. The sixth stage involved further chemical cleaning and development, followed by a final stage in which natural pigments were applied only when absolutely necessary.

On Tuesday, the restored murals were officially inaugurated under the chairmanship of Cooperation Minister VN Vasavan. District Collector Chetan Kumar Meena and others were present.