Mural Paintings & Cave Paintings in India

Mural Paintings are paintings which are painted on the walls or a solid structure. In India, Mural paintings are dated back to 10th century BC and the 10th century AD. They are found in various locations such as Ajanta Caves, Armamalai Cave, Ravan Chhaya Rock Shelter, Bagh Caves, Sittanavasal Caves, Kailasha Temple in Ellora, Jogimara Caves etc.

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Table of Content

• What are Mural Paintings in India?
• Ajanta Cave Paintings
• Ellora Cave Paintings
• Bagh Cave Paintings
• Sittanavasal Cave (Arivar Koil) Paintings
• Lepakshi Temple Paintings
• Jogimara Cave Paintings
• Ravan Chhaya Rock Shelter (Sitabhinji Group of Rock Shelters)
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are Mural Paintings in India?

• Meaning: Mural paintings are paintings that are done on the walls or a solid structure.
• Mural paintings in India have existed since ancient times and can be dated between the 10th century BC and the 10th century AD.
• The evidence of mural paintings can be found at several locations in India, including:
  • Ajanta
  • Armamalai Cave
  • Ravan Chhaya Rock Shelter
  • Bagh Caves
  • Sittanavasal Caves
  • Kailasha Temple in Ellora
  • Jogimara Caves
• The mural paintings in India are typically religious in nature and depict scenes from Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain mythology and history.
• Mural paintings were also used to adorn mundane premises, such as the ancient theatre room in Jogimara Caves.

Ajanta Cave Paintings

• Ajanta is the only surviving example of a painting of the first century BCE and the fifth century CE.
• The paintings in the Ajanta Caves are generally themed around Buddhism, depicting the life of Buddha and Jataka stories such as Aryasura’s Jatakamala, and more.
• The figures carved in the caves were done using fresco painting, with the outlines of the paintings done in red colour.
• One of the striking features of the paintings is the absence of blue color.

Refer to the linked article to know more about Ajanta Cave Paintings.

Ellora Cave Paintings

• The mural paintings at Ellora are mostly limited to Cave No. 16, i.e., Kailasha Temple.
• The paintings are related to Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism.
• Ellora Cave paintings are newer as compared to Ajanta Cave paintings.
• Important paintings of Ellora: Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva with his followers and Beautiful and gracious Apsaras.

Bagh Cave Paintings

• The Bagh Caves are notable for their mural paintings, which depict scenes from Buddhist mythology and history.
• The paintings are in a style that is similar to the paintings at Ajanta, but they are more realistic and less stylized.
• Cave No. 4, known as the Rang Mahal, has beautiful murals on the walls depicting Buddhist Jataka tales.
• The murals are now scanty and decayed, but they depict religious themes in the light of the contemporary lifestyle of people, thus are more secular in nature.

Sittanavasal Cave (Arivar Koil) Paintings

• The Sittanavasal Caves are a group of rock-cut cave temples located in Tamil Nadu, India.
• The caves date from the 1st century BC to the 10th century AD.
• The caves are famous for their Jain paintings, which are similar to the paintings at the Ajanta and Bagh Caves.
• The paintings depict scenes from Jain mythology and philosophy.
• The paintings are made with vegetable and mineral dyes and were applied to wet lime plaster.
• The colors used in the paintings include yellow, green, orange, blue, black, and white.
• The central element of the paintings is a lotus pond, which is surrounded by monks, ducks, swans, fishes, and animals.
• The lotus pond represents the Samavasarana, which is a special audience hall where Tirthankaras (enlightened beings) delivered sermons.
• The bulls, elephants, apsaras (celestial nymphs), and gods represent the audience at the Samavasarana.

Lepakshi Temple Paintings

• The Lepakshi murals are a series of religious paintings located in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, India.
• They were created during the Vijayanagara period in the 16th century.
• The paintings depict scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the incarnations of Vishnu.
• The murals are notable for their use of muted colours, particularly the absence of blue.
• The figures in the paintings are outlined in black.
• The paintings have been interpreted as a sign of the decline of Vijayanagara art.

Jogimara Cave Paintings

• The Sitabenga Cave or Jogimara Cave is an artificially carved-out cave located in the Surguja district of Chhattisgarh.
• It is dated back to around 1000-300 BC.
• The cave has a few paintings and inscriptions of a love story in Brahmi script.
• The cave is said to be an attachment to an amphitheater.
• The paintings are of dancing couples, animals like elephants and fish.
• The paintings have a distinct red outline.
  • Other colours like white, yellow and black were also used.
• The Rock-cut theatre of Sitabenga is also located nearby.

Ravan Chhaya Rock Shelter (Sitabhinji Group of Rock Shelters)

• The Sitabhinji rock shelter is located in the Keonjhar district of Odisha, India.
• It is a half-opened umbrella-shaped rock shelter with ancient fresco paintings.
• The paintings are believed to have been created in the 7th century AD.
• The most noticeable painting is a royal procession.
• There are also remains of Chola period paintings from the 11th century.

Conclusion

Mural paintings in India have a very long tradition and history in Indian art, though because of the climatic conditions very few early examples survive. There are more than 20 locations in India where murals have been found, mainly in natural caves and rock-cut chambers. They are mostly religious in nature and show scenes from Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain mythology and history. They were also used to adorn mundane premises, such as the ancient theatre room in Jogimara Caves

Ref:Source-1

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)