REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY MURAL PAINTINGS OF ODISHA: A SPECIAL FOCUS ON PAINTINGS OF BIRANCHINARAYAN TEMPLE OF GANJAM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v4.i1.2023.279Keywords:
Mural Painting, Epics, History, Women, Odia Culture, Biranchinarayan Temple, Ganjam, OdishaAbstract [English]
The Painting culture of Odisha has in relation to her social and religious life. Since prehistoric times, Odisha has witnessed the advancement of this visual art. As literature, the painting of the medieval Odisha has obtained great success. Contemporary temples and Mathas in Odisha present wall paintings on the topic of epics and secular ideologies. However, while studying the history of women in medieval Odisha, the painting of the time is the key source to make an authentic framework on this subject. Historical data from that time do not provide sufficient information about the contributions, roles, and status of women in society. The mural paintings of the eighteenth century, mainly in the Ganjam region of Odisha, reflect the social, religious, and cultural life of women. Biranchinarayan temple painting is one of the finest mediaeval paintings in the area. The stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata are vivid depictions on the walls of this temple of the sun. However, portraying female figures in these murals also sheds light on their status and positions in society. The painting of the Rama–Sita wedding ceremony on the wall of this Biranchinarayan temple is the best part of all the murals. Odia traditions, dress styles and wedding ceremonies are reflected in Ramayana’s paintings. The monogamy culture of medieval Odisha is mostly highlighted.
Downloads
References
Bundgaard, H. (1999). Indian Art Worlds in Contention : Local, Regional, and National Discaurses on Orissan Patta Paintings. London : Rutledge.
Chandra, P. (1975). Medieval Indian Miniature Painting, in Cultural History of India Ed. By A. L. Bhasam, New Delhi : Oxford Publication.
Das, J. P. (1982). Puri Paintings. Jagatsinghpur : Prafulla.
Ganguly, O. C. (1968). The Glorious Begnning, in Panaroma of Indian Painting, New Delhi : Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt of India.
Jaunna, W. (1996). The Two Headed Deer, Illustration of the Ramayan in Orissa. Barkeley : University of Carlifornia Press.
Nilamber, B. (1976). Prastabachintamani, (Eighteenth Century Oriya Work), ed. By S. N. Rajguru, Brahmapur : Berhampur University Publication.
Pande, R. & Lavanya, B. (2014). Miniature Painting of Golconda and the Representation of Women (16th -17th Centruries AD. In Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in History and Archaeology, 1(1), (73-86).
Pathy, D. (1981). Mural Paintings in Orissa. Bhubanswar : Orissa Lalitakala Academy.
Pathy, D. (1984). Orissa Painting, in Glimpses of Orissan Art and Culture. Bhubaneswar : Orissa State Museum.
Ramachandran, T. N. (1951). Find of Tempera Painting in Sitabhinji. District Keonjhar, Orissa, Artibus Asiae, 14(1 /2), (4-25). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3248685
Welch, S. C. (1985). India : Art and Culture (1300-1900). New York : Metropolitant Museum of Art.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Dr Sankarsan Malik
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask for further permission from the author or journal board.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.