9. Sept 2014

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ART ‘Visworup’ – the image of the Lord is found in the walls of the prayer room in the private residence of Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa, early 19th century at Lagan Tole, Kathmandu. In the painting, two attendants can be seen – Lord Arjun, an important character from the great epic Mahabharata is in the left and the devotee in the right is the representation of the prime minister himself. PHOTO: RAJENDRA CHITRAKAR, GP SANSTHAN MURAL ART HAS ANCIENT ROOTS IN NEPAL text MADAN CHITRAKAR digital support BIJAYA MAHARJAN 58 / SPACESNEPAL.COM
ART Details of the fresco painting inside the famed 55 Window Durbar Complex, Bhaktapur. Different episodes from the great Hindu epic Mahabharata can be seen in the different panels of the painting. PHOTO: BIJAYA MAHARJAN Many of Buddhist Vihars and Bahis were built during the time span between 12th century and 17th century AD. Mural art by then had had been well established as an important part of entire painting tradition…. Naturally, as the number of Buddhist Vihars begun to grow in the Valley during this period, the earliest wall painting or the archetypal ‘Murals’ also began to appear in Nepal. Hence in all the possibilities therefore, those early monks cum painters and their religious art in the walls then could be described as the origins or the genesis of mural art in Nepal. (Hook) In the present day Kathmandu, one would hardly fail to notice a liberal presence of wall paintings – visible all over the city walls in the important thoroughfares of the city. A casual visitor may even wonder whether the ‘graffiti’ revolution has finally arrived in Kathmandu. The shapes and forms may vary with a wide spectrum of diverse visual imageries – from unintelligible psychedelic forms to amateurish pop art to community messages or forms as desired by funding agencies –foreign or local. But the unconventional art practice as is found today is a recent phenomenon: and its appearances could be directly attributed to the overwhelming public desire to do away with and discourage the reviled culture to deface the city walls with ugly political slogans. Thus the motive has been essentially to save the city walls from the ugly political slogans. It means the present wall paintings or the art of murals - unlike the art of graffiti elsewhere, have no or very little bearings whatsoever with the mainstream contemporary Nepali Art today. THE ANCIENT ROOTS But unlike the recent wall paintings as stated above however, ‘Murals’- as a work of serious art too had had appeared long ago and had found deep roots in the history of Nepali Painting: and had long remained an integral part of the central stream of painting since then. And unlike today, the driving spirit and the motives to paint in wall – the murals or frescoes was to illustrate the religious beliefs – or to serve as constant reminders of the faiths. Surprising it may seem today, the importance of ‘Murals’ as an art then, remained so vital not only in the making of the history of art but also has remained equally instrumental in a social evolution - creation of a caste artists ‘Chitrakars’ in the medieval Nepal. Going by the history, an earliest appearance of any painted form or a ‘Painting’ in Nepali history is dated 11th century – revealing the prevalence of Buddhist faith dominant then. History also revealed that the bulk of the early painters then usually doubled as monks cum painters. Many of the monks cum painters had had made their arrival as refugees from the neighboring Pala empire – fleeing the onslaught of growing Muslim invasions. And in the Buddhist tradition they brought in, wall paintings or the ‘Murals’ in the exteriors as well as inside the antechambers constituted an integral part of the religious practice. Naturally, as the number of Buddhist Vihars begun to grow in the Valley during this period, the earliest wall painting or the archetypal ‘Murals’ also began to appear in Nepal. Hence in all the possibilities therefore, those early monks cum painters and their religious art in the walls then could be described as the origins or the genesis of mural art in Nepal. Later in the following centuries too, albeit the dominance of religious faiths began to shift, it seemed the importance of ‘Mural Painting’ did not wane. New Buddhist Vihars continued to be added in the Valley and so did the growth of popularity of mural art. A student of history would note that many of Buddhist Vihars and Bahis were built during the time span between 12th century and 17th century AD. Mural art by then, had had been well established as an important part of entire painting tradition. The early monk cum painters too had had cast off their yellow robes and began to lead a normal married life with family. And as for livelihood, they had had turned into professional painters – catering painting services to both Buddhist and Shaiva or Hindu followers. The unfailing presence of medieval Buddhist imageries found in the facades of ‘Bahis’- a smaller monasteryadjacent to the larger courtyards known as Buddhist Vihars, remain the vivid testimony of the popularity and growth of mural art in bygone Nepal. And as time passed by, the practice to paint façade walls had had become too conventionalized with set of imageries of Buddhist deities considered mandatory. Usually the imageries of five Dhyani Buddhas or three jewels of Buddhism – personalized as Buddha, Dharma and Sangha remain the central elements – flanked in either side are the wrathful guardians –Bajrapani and Khadgapani. In addition, subsidiary SEPTEMBER <strong>2014</strong> / 59
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9. Sept 2014

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