7th July 2023 Mr Nandakumar
I painted the famous Pazhavangadi Maha Ganapathy Temple in Trivandrum. It is watercolour in an impressionist style. The temple is in East Fort (1765 AD), and the main idol faces east. There are 32 versions of the Ganesh in the temple premises. The Nair Brigade used to maintain this temple, but now it is maintained by the Indian Army. The main ritual at this temple is to break a de-husked coconut. Often people take a vow to break 100 or 1000 coconuts.
As you may have noted, I paint temples. Temples are fascinating structures with intricately carved sculptures that tell a story. I tell my stories using my art. Everyone has different reasons as to why they go to the temple. For some families, it is to offer gratitude for the wishes that Lord Ganesh granted. For some, it is an occasion for an outing. Often after the temple visit, people visit a nearby restaurant to eat hot cooked food. That is the fun part. The temple has become a major tourist attraction.
It is hard to pray in a crowded place with noise from the breaking coconuts. I go when it is quiet as I can’t pray in crowded places. I hope you enjoyed my style of painting as well as my story. I would love to read your comments. Thank you🙏🙏😊.