Remains of Murals Discovered at Kolanupaka Someswara Temple
Team members believe that chemical treatment of these murals will reveal many more names and details
HYDERABAD: Remains of colourful temple murals were discovered on the left side of the ceiling above the entrance of the mantapa at the Kolanupaka Someswara temple, Alair, Bhuvanagiri District.
It was first noticed by Siripuram Narendra, a member of the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam. Team members, Sriramoju Haragopal, Mullakkala Ravi Kumar, Kunde Ganesh, and Panga Megharaj examined and analysed these murals.
The team’s convener Haragopal stated that these paintings are narrative in nature, depicting episodes from a Yakshagana performance. In one scene, Vishvabrahma is being carried in a procession, and the name is written in Telugu above the painting. Based on the script, it can be dated to the 16th or 17th century Telugu writing, confirming that the murals belong to that period, said the team members.
Labels (names) are visible in several places in the paintings, such as Eraya, Sharabha and Sangarolu. Team members believe that chemical treatment of these murals will reveal many more names and details.
The department of heritage should protect these paintings with chemical treatment, said Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam.
In the past, we have seen similar murals painted on stone slabs on the ceilings of temples in Pillalamarri and Kotagullu and we read about them in the Rachakonda Ramalayam.
Earlier, Adiraju Veerabhadra Rao wrote that murals existed in the Brahmana Vada Shiva temple at Bhuvanagiri, said the team members.
