The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : 18th century murals languishing

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Wednesday, Jun 18, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

18th century murals languishing

Sai Deepika Amirapu

An interesting technique has been used in the murals

FADING COLOURS: The murals found at Rajavade Palace in Nippani taluk

Bangalore: The Rajavade Palace in Nippani taluk, Belgaum, has some splendid murals dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. But unfortunately these are in a state of neglect, and if restoration work is not taken up immediately, an interesting document of history could be lost.

Located 43 km away from the Belgaum-Pune National Highway, the mansion in which the murals are found was a palace of Dada Raja Nippanikar, a descendent of Shiddhoji Raje Nayak Nimbalkar who was given the land to build his palace by the Bahmani kings.

The court artists of Shiddhoji Nimbalkar used an interesting technique that was in currency in the medieval period.

Earth (natural) colours were applied on the walls and were allowed to dry. The medium was an amalgam of coloured pigments and egg yolk, which was used to fill in colour and act as a coat of varnish that gave the murals a glossy effect. Milk and honey have been used as substitutes for egg yolk.

These visual compositions depicted legendary events of Indian history like the rasaleela, mahishasura mardana and bakasure vada where a generous use of red and orange can be seen, especially those depicting women in the cosmic dance involving Lord Krishna and the gopikas.

The Govardhana Giri episode in which Lord Krishna lifts the mountain on his little finger to save the people of the village from the devastating rain has been artistically portrayed. Gold has been used to embellish the surface of the paintings and heighten their effect. Over the years, these cultural treasures are losing their colour and are becoming increasingly fragile.

Decolorization is rampant, and moss has grown on the walls that bear the paintings because of the constant dampness. Corrosion has resulted in flakes of gold paint falling off.

“We want the Government to come forward and help restore these paintings and spread awareness of this cultural heritage,” says Mr. Nippanikar who lives in the palace with his family.

Well known art historian K.V. Subramanyam says that the current state of these murals requires immediate attention to avoid further deterioration. “Chemical preservation methods can be adopted to restore life to these paintings,” he says.

He has sought the intervention of the Departments of Tourism and Culture and non-governmental organisations like Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to look into the financial aspects of heritage conservation.

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