Rulers
Historical background
Mythical rulers appear in the murals along historical figure such as Muthu Vijaya Raghunatha Setupati of Ramanathapuram
Date: 18th century, partly obliterated by whitewash
Description: Top row: Ravana abducts Sita in his aerial chariot; the vulture Jatayu tries to intercept the progress of the conveyance and engages in a fierce battle during which he is severely wounded and falls to earth; Ravana’s chariot resumes its flight. Sita drops her jewels tied in a piece of her garment; The monkeys find them; On arrival in Lanka she is held captive in Ravana’s ashoka grove; He tries to persuade her to marry him. Bottom row: Hanuman reports to two crowned monkeys; A delegation comes to meet the visitors; Sugriva prostrates at Rama’s feet; He then points to Rama Dundubhi’s huge carcass hanging on a tree and Rama throws it away; Then Rama pierces the seven trees with a single arrow.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Kallalagar Temple complex;Alagar Koyil
Positioning: Vasanta mandapa, north wall
Date: 18th century
Description: Top row 1 (from left): In Kishkindha, Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman confer with Sugriva; Sugriva challenges Vali; Sugriva seeks Rama’s advice; Lakshmana and Hanuman are shown behind Rama. Bottom register 2 ctd. (from left): Vali’s cremation; Sugriva and the other monkeys pay homage to Rama and Lakshmana; Sugriva’s consecration; Tara sits at his side.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Kallalagar Temple complex;Alagar Koyil
Positioning: Vasanta mandapa; east corridor, ceiling, north east corner
Date: 18th century
Description: Top row 1, ctd. (from left): Rama garlands Sugriva; Tara, Vali’s wife, tries to dissuade him from fighting against Sugriva; Sugriva challenges Vali; The two engage in a duel and, concealed behind a tree, Rama aims an arrow at Vali; Bottom row 2 ctd. (from right): Rama, Lakshmana and Sugriva gather around the dying Vali, who is comforted by Tara and his son Angada; Rama extracts the arrow from Vali’s chest and the latter dies; Rama and Lakshmana confer with Angada (?); Vali’s cremation.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Kallalagar Temple complex;Alagar Koyil
Positioning: Vasanta mandapa, east corridor, ceiling, northeast corner
Date: 18th century
Description: Top row 3 (from left): Rama and Lakshmana spend the rainy season on Malyavanta Hill; Sugriva and Tara enthroned; At the end of the rainy season, Rama sends Lakshmana to remind Sugriva of his promise to help organizing the search for Sita; Lakshmana at Sugriva’s and Tara’s presence; Bottom row 4 ctd. (from right): Hanuman on his way to Lanka; He jumps from Mount Mahendra to Mount Mainaka; He encounters the rakshasi Surasa who swallows him, but he escapes from her ear; At the gate of Lanka he defeats Lankini, and enters Ravana’s palace looking for Sita.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Kallalagar Temple complex;Alagar Koyil
Positioning: Vasanta mandapa, east corridor, ceiling
Date: 18th century
Description: Top row 3 ctd. (from left): Lakshmana at the presence of Sugriva and Tara; Lakshmana, Sugriva, Jambavan and Hanuman meet Rama on Malyavanta Hill; Rama entrusts his signet ring to Hanuman. Bottom row 4 ctd. (from right): Sugriva; Jambavan and a third unidentifiable figure; The allies are trapped in Svayamprabha’s cave; Once freed, they meet the vulture Sampati who reveals to them Sita’s whereabouts; Hanuman whiles on the seashore and, encouraged by Jambavan and Sugriva, climbs on mount Mahendra and jumps across the ocean to Lanka; On his way he rests on mount Mainaka.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Kallalagar Temple complex;Alagar Koyil
Positioning: Vasanta mandapa, east corridor, ceiling
Date: 18th century
Description: Top row 5 (from left): Hanuman enters Ravana’s garden; Concealed in the crown of a tree beneath which sits Sita, he makes himself known to her and gives her Rama’s signet ring; He then destroys the garden; A guard reports him to Ravana, and the latter sends his son Indrajit to deal with the intruder. Bottom row 6, ctd. (from right): Hanuman with his tail ablaze, sets fire to the stables of the horses and the elephants; He then dips his tail in the ocean, crosses the sea and rejoins Sugriva, Jambavan and the others on the mainland.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Kallalagar Temple complex;Alagar Koyil
Positioning: Vasanta mandapa, east corridor, ceiling
Date: 18th century
Description: Top row 7 ctd. (from left): Hanuman accompanied by Sugriva reports to Rama and Lakshmana; Hanuman talks to his companions and all together they follow Rama seated on his shoulders; Bottom row 8 ctd.(from right): Rama in council; In Lanka, Ravana consults his ministers.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Kallalagar Temple complex;Alagar Koyil
Positioning: Vasanta mandapa, east corridor, ceiling
Date: 18th century
Description: Top row 9 (from left): Vibhishana prostrates before Rama and Lakshmana; He is consecrated king of Lanka by Lakshmana and Sugriva; Vibhishana and Lakshmana, carried in a palanquin, reach the shore of the ocean where Rama lies on a couch of darbha grass. Bottom row 10 ctd. (from right): Having built the causeway, the troops cross the ocean; Rama and Lakshmana direct the attack on Lanka from a hill; Ravana watches the action from atop a gopura; Sugriva jumps on him and steals his crown; Ravana, shocked, descends from the gopura.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Kallalagar Temple complex;Alagar Koyil
Positioning: Vasanta mandapa, east corridor, ceiling
Date: 18th century
Description: Top row 9 ctd. (from left): Lakshmana and Vibhishana, carried in a palanquin, reach the shore of the ocean where Rama lies on a bed of darbha grass to propitiate Sagara, the god of the ocean; Sagara does not appear; Rama threatens him with the Agni-astra (fire-weapon); Sagara then appears along with his wives and prostrates before Rama; The monkeys headed by Hanuman, prepare to build the bridge to Lanka. Bottom row 10 (from right): Under Rama’s and Sugriva’s direction they build the bridge.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Kallalagar Temple complex;Alagar Koyil
Positioning: Vasanta mandapa, east corridor, ceiling
Description: Top row 12 (from right): Rama’s troops attack Ravana’s fortress; Angada drags by the hair Ravana’s wife, Mandodari, in the assembly hall; Ravana enters the battlefield on his chariot; Bottom row 13 ctd. (from left): Rama, seated on Hanuman’s shoulders shoots arrows at Ravana but his limbs regenerate; Hanuman, and then Sugriva, fight bare handed against Ravana, who succumbs to Sugriva’s punches and is rescued by two rakshasas.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Kallalagar Temple complex;Alagar Koyil
Positioning: Vasanta mandapa, east corridor, ceiling
Date: 18th century, partly obliterated by whitewash
Description: Top row 13 ctd. (from left): Rama, seated on Hanuman’s shoulders shoots arrows at Ravana, but his limbs regenerate Hanuman and then Sugriva barehanded fight against Ravana; He succumbs to Sugriva’s punches and is rescued by two rakshasas; Bottom row 14 (from right): Ravana decides to consult his brother Kumbhakarna; Sugriva talks to Rama and Lakshmana; in Lanka scores of men and animals trample upon the huge body of the sleeping Kumbhakarna, waking him up, eventually.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Kallalagar Temple complex;Alagar Koyil
Positioning: Vasanta mandapa, east corridor, ceiling
Date: Paintings: probably 18th century
Description: Padal Petra Sthalams i.e. the 275 temples celebrated in the hymns of the Shaiva saints. Plan of Madurai detail: Tirumala Nayaka palace.
Location: Tamil Nadu Temple;Atmanatha Temple;Avudaiyarkoyil
Positioning: Nandishvara Manikkavachakar shrine, ceiling of the mandpa
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