Know the real 'enemies of painting':
Some art historians attribute the decline of patronage to mural painting in Kerala to the Mysore Invasions(1766-1782) and the ascent of the British rule in 1807 and importantly the emergence of Raja Ravi Varma as the leading exponent of Western mode of painting followed by the advent of photography and printing presses.
Ravivarma is to Mural painting as Krishna is to Vedic Religion. Just as Krishna veered away everyone from worshipping Indra and Varun, RaviVarma gave new eyes to the audience that look into the eyes of the Gods and Goddesses, who in turn look directly into the eyes of the devotees, This is very much against the mural tradition. The new Gods and Goddesses communicate directly with the devotees and vice versa.
That was long ago.What happened to murals in post-independent India?
You are not to be faulted if you think that even the Gods are against Murals:
Pl follow the link and read carefully:
http://www.guruvayurdevaswom.org/htemple3.shtml
THE FIRE AND RENOVATION
On November30,1970,a massive fire broke out in the temple. It begin from the western chuttambalam and raged all around for five hours, but the
Sreekovil , the Vigraha, sub-shrines of
Ganapathy ,
Sastha ,
Bhagavathy and flag-staff remained unaffected. People from all walks of life, irrespective of age , caste, creed and religion fought the fire to set a glorious example. Later, the temple was once again built to the glory of the Lord.....
Two committees were formed to undertake the renovation work. One committee was headed by the Devaswom Minister, Govt. of Kerala and another technical committee to advice on the renovation work. It had eminent engineers, astrologers and the Tantri as the members. The committee arrived at some general decisions ....
a) To attract more devotees, all possible alterations to remove inconveniences which are permitted according to tantric principles.
b) To increase the moving space for worshippers by reducing the height of Chuttambalam basement. To provide granite pillars instead of wooden.
c) To put granite wall against the Vilakkumatam.
d) To provide a passage around the Ganapathy shrine to eliminate congestion.
e) To reconstruct the Ganapathy temple in granite.
f) To put a granite engraved "Ananthasayanam" in place of the old "Ananthasayanam" (Mahavishnu lying over serpent) painting which was lost in fire.
g) To widen the gates at the north and east entrances.
h) To reduce the size of the Nivedyathara at the south of the Mandapam.
Eminent astrologers of Kerala were requested to attend the meeting and decide about the Lord's approval for above mentioned changes. Except the widening of two doors everything else were approved. The foundation stone for the renovation was laid by His Holiness Jagatguru Kanchi Kamakoti Matadhipathy Jayendra Saraswathy Swamikal....
Incidentally, the dearth of mural painters to undertake the restoration of murals in the aftermath of the 1970 fire at Guruvayur temple , led to the establishment of a school for mural painting.
Beyond aesthetics : the technologies of art and enchantment :
If SMS symbolises the death of language and meaningful expression,that pushes one back to the neanderthal age of communications,
Flex Printing ...is the SMS of Painting.
You don’t need to sign because you are not original. Just cut, copy and paste!
And ‘you will be famous for 15 secs...’(Andy Warhol)
Can we experience Satyaloka in 15 secs?
What, even Tipu, the Colonial rulers and Ravi Varma, and ravages of time could not,together , do to the Murals of Kerala, rich & mindless devotees now clad the wall surfaces of temples with sand -blast, aluminium, brass and copper & Gold causing immense damage to the future of Indian Art.
Can you let the ageless
Aesthetic and philosophic vision end here:
Ettumanoor Vishnu 
Vastrapaharanam, Ettumanoor(left)
Siva with Mayamohini,Kottakkal(left)
Tali Calicut(below):
Tali Calicut(below):
< Pundareekapuram > 
From Panyannaru Kavu(left)
