Written by Pallavi Chattopadhyay |Updated: January 3, 2019 8:11:58 am
Culled from the collection of painter KC Aryan, an exhibition portrays the myriad depictions of Hanuman
KC Aryan Aryan says his father, the late painter KC Aryan, was the first to preserve and promote these unknown paintings from Jodhpur. He says, “Nobody knew of their existence," he says.
In a rare and interesting portrayal of Hanuman, the allegory-filled central character in the Ramayana, the empty spaces within his silhouette outlined in black ink can be spotted bearing inscriptions in Arabic and Gujarati. The artwork from the 17th century, has its origins in either UP or Gujarat. The work lends clues on how its painter was a Muslim tantric worshipper of Hanuman. Many similar interesting facets of Hanuman and his varied depictions across the country find their way into the exhibition “Hanuman: The Divine Simian”, which is currently on display at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
“The reason for doing this exhibition is that nobody knows about these works,” says BN Aryan, who has curated the show, which comprises 300 paintings, sculptures and masks centered around Hanuman. Bearing the brunt of time with its frayed edges and black spots, the tantric paintings of Hanuman, commonly known as the patakas in Jodhpur, show Hanuman with 11 hands and stepping onto a demon, reminiscent of the popular depiction of goddess Kali.
Another offbeat pataka painting shows the Navamukhi Hanuman, a nine-headed Hanuman, and has mantras in Devanagari beside it.
Aryan points out how his father, the late painter KC Aryan, was the first to preserve and promote these unknown paintings from Jodhpur. He says, “Nobody knew of their existence. These large-size paintings were done by pujaris from Jodhpur, and not by painters in a conventional manner. They are so vibrant and have now become extinct
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