Kottayam: The renovation of the mural paintings (Chumarchithram) of the Aarpookara Subramanya Temple, one of the rare temples where Nithyapooja of Shadchakra Ganapathy is being conducted, will shortly be completed.
The renovation of the murals is particularly notable since Kottayam was declared a mural city earlier this year. The mural paintings spread over 500 square feet of the temple could belong to the eighteenth century. They have been neglected and misused over the years until the devaswom authorities earmarked Rs 3 lakh for their restoration.
The renovation of the mural paintings began in August end. The work is being done by a team of mural painters that include Jijulal V.M., Shyju Narikkuni, Shinu and Prafullarajan.
"Natural colours have been used in the renovation work. The murals were first cleaned of the dirt that had accumulated over the years. The paintings were drawn somewhere in the eighteenth century, though there is no official record to substantiate this," said Jijulal, who is engaged in the renovation work.
Secretary of the temple, PVG Kaimal, said that 90 per cent of the renovation work has been completed. "This is a rare temple where Nithyapooja of Shadchakra Ganapathy is being conducted regularly," he maintained.
The subject of the murals is incidents in Hindu mythology such as Subramanya waging war on the Asuras, and Srirama and Ravana in Lanka. Jijulal said that after the renovation, the mural paintings will endure for another 100 years.
