In April-May, Madurai- the land of goddess Meenakshi Amman celebrates the Chithirai festival, the marriage merriments of Lord Shiva as Sundareshvara with goddess Parvati or Meenakshi. The fourth event in this series of festivities is Meenakshi Thirukalyanam or Meenakshi-Kalyanam, in which goddess Meenakshi’s hand is given in marriage to the Lord of Three Realms- Tripureshvara Shiva.
The heavenly ambiance of the coming together of Shiva and Shakti is recreated in this extensively detailed Meenakshi Kalyanam Thanjavur painting, one of the rare examples where an entire event, with its audience, is included in the composition.
The sheer number of subjects- primary and secondary, in this Tanjore artwork- is mind-blowing and is proof of the meticulousness of the artist whose skilled hands and sharp vision gave each of them a focused treatment.
Under the expansive blue sky where celestials, sages, and the Sun and the Moon appear as the heavenly audience to the ceremony, is a golden pavilion with two domes and a grand arch. The intricacy of South Indian architecture is presented in the pavilion which is decorated with traditional motifs and covered in gold foil. In the center of the Thanjavur Meenakshi Kalyanam painting is the supreme couple- Shiva and Meenakshi Amman, surpassing the combined allure of all the other divinities present in their marriage ceremony.
Shiva has forfeited his ascetic garb and is draped in a golden attire that matches the sari of his bride, who stands coyly in front of him, as beautiful as the lotus she holds. Behind Devi Meenakshi stands her father, Himalaya or Himavana, pouring water on the hands of Shiva and Parvati, completing the Paanigrahana (taking of hand) ritual. The flow of ritual water is marked by a single white line that falls directly in the mouth of Nandi placed between the duo, an artistic inclusion of Shiva’s beloved mount in his marriage.
Next to Uma-Parvati (Meenakshi) is her mother, nudging her daughter to reach the hand of the Lord of her heart. In the foreground of the Meenakshi Kalyanam, Tanjore painting is Lord Brahma, acting as the officiating priest for the ceremony. Other members of the retinue identifiable due to their distinctive appearance are Surya (Sun) and Chandra (moon) on either side of the main arch, distinguishable through their halo.
On the left side of the viewer in this painting is Batuka Bhairava with his dog and staff, Ravana with multiple arms and heads, and on the right, is a green-hued Garuda, bull-headed Nandikeshvara, goddess Saraswati with her Veena, blue-skinned Vishnu flanked by Sri Devi and Bhudevi. Mounted on clouds in the sky, Deva Rishi Narada on the left and Gandharva Tumburu (a celestial musician) also attend this divine event. The glistening gold leaf that is pasted over the embossed surface in this painting, is covered in an additional yellow slip that enriches the images and the decorations with a unique aesthetic.
Through the hand gesture of the subjects, drizzling of ritual water and a variety of facial expressions, the maker of this Thanjavur painting has succeeded in bringing a stunning vibrancy to this composition. With the grandeur of Meenakshi Kalyanam adorning your wall, you can immerse in the togetherness of Shiva and Shakti which is the origin of all bliss in the universe.
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