Tamil Nadu paintings in Bhopal

Anil Gulati


Bhopal’s Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalya (or the 'National Museum of Man'), gallery walls adorn unique Tanjore paintings and Kolam paintings in its small hall for last few months. Though limited in number but still are interesting collections which are displayed there. It has Tanjore paintings from Tamil Nadu which is known for its traditional ornate paintings. This unique art form has its origin in South India. The portrayal of figures in these paintings is breathtakingly brilliant. The website on Tanjore paintings do state that these paintings in earlier time were embedded with real diamonds, rubies and other precious stones. But now pure gold foils and semi precious stones are used to adorn the paintings. In the hall at Bhopal one can see paintings of Lord Krishna sitting on chair, Lord Vishnu and its ten incarnations, Lord Ganesha, painting of Mahabharta war, and few others. The creation of this painting involves a lot of dedication and several stages of meticulous work of art, which reflects when you see them. Hall also has few Kolam paintings. Kolam refers to decorative artwork drawn on the floor in front of houses and in ‘Puja’ rooms and is considered as an important form of artistic expression in India. The original Tamil Kolam merely consists of white dots around which the intertwined lines are drawn, but now colours are also used. Kolam paintings are time old cultural tradition in Southern part of India. Another small gallery adjoining the Tamil Nadu paintings is ‘Tana - bana’ i..e ‘The wrap and wreft’ which displays some handloom fabrics, pictures of various tribes in their traditional dresses and off course the simple yet attractive weaving spindles. Both these galleries are worth a visit, when one visits Manav Sanghralaya in Bhopal.