KERALA MURALS

 The colours selected for the murals by the artists had a direct bearing on the characters portrayed. According to ancient texts there are three broad qualities assigned to superhuman, human and sub human beings, viz Satwa (the noblest), rajas (the active and middle principle) and tamas (the dark and destructive principle) respectively."The colours selected for the murals by the artists had a direct bearing on the characters portrayed. According to ancient texts there are three broad qualities assigned to superhuman, human and sub human beings, viz Satwa (the noblest), rajas (the active and middle principle) and tamas (the dark and destructive principle) respectively.

To represent Satwik quality green and shades of green were used. Characters of a raajasik quality were portrayed in red or golden and taamasik nature of the gods were represented not by black but in white while demons and demonesses were represented by black.

Among the subjects, Vishnu and his Satwik incarnations, Paarvati, Sridevi, Arjuna, pious beings like Prahalaada and Maarkandeya were always painted in green. Bhoodevi, (goddess earth), Ganga, Ganesa and the four-headed Brahma were also painted in red. Vishnu was painted in different colours according to his attributes.

It is true that though the figures of the murals have the external likeness of men and women, the divine or rather the supra human aspect is also obvious every detail. The creators of these pictures no doubt had undergone rigourous mental disciplines or Saadhana".