Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times

ChinmayaIAS Academy - Current Affairs March 2, 2021 GS, GS1 Leave a comment 511 Views

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GEORGE’S ORTHODOX CHURCH

The centuries-old St. George’s Orthodox Church at Cheppad in Kerala faced demolition for widening of National Highway 66, but is now set to become a Centrally-protected monument of national importance with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recognition.

Important points:

The church is one of the rarest in Kerala, having traditional Kerala church architectural pattern with rare and beautiful mural paintings on the walls of the altar.
The church is thought to date back to AD 950, but some experts say it was built in AD 1050. Though rebuilt in 1952, the old apse at the eastern end preserves the murals.
There are 47 murals and the paintings are of St. Paul with a sword, the birth of Jesus Christ, resurrection of Lazarus, the kiss of Judas, the Last Supper, Christ bearing the cross, Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, and Noah’s Ark.
These paintings, blending Persian and Kerala mural art styles, draw enthusiasts from far and wide.

Kerala Murals:

The distinct style was developed but a lot of the features of the Nayaka and Vijayanagara styles were adopted.
The artists took ideas from the contemporary traditions of Kathakali and KalamEzhuthu.
Vibrant and luminous colours, human figures have shown 3-dimensionally.
Paintings on the walls of the shrines, on cloister walls of temples, also in palaces.
The theme of the paintings – from locally popular episodes of Hindu mythology, local versions of the Mahabharata and Ramayana through oral traditions.

More than 60 sites with mural paintings