Manifolds of Yakshi Myth: An Inquiry into the Narrative Capability of Mural Art
Abstract
Manifolds of Yakshi Myth: An Inquiry into the Narrative Capability of Mural Art
Sethulekshmi P S , Dr Saraswathy Selvarajan
The human race is accustomed to a multitude of narratives, which shape perspectives and minds, and it is debilitating to know that narratives in general are confined to textual forms and other modern media. Inquiry into the history of the human race opens up a wide arena of narrative possibilities that are significantly capable of shaping the collective consciousness of the people, and visual narratives are one such. Visual narratives, beginning with the cave paintings or murals, are considered a significant source of knowledge dissemination from the past. The derivations traced from the anthropological and archaeological documents are examples of this. Different regions of the country have diverse muralist traditions, and the Kerala murals are one such artistic tradition seen in the temple sanctorums. They were primarily used to propagate spiritual, mythological, and cultural notions of the region. Among the mural arts of Kerala, yakshi murals are the least popular and can only be found in certain temples of Kerala that worship the femme fatale. Inquiry into the cultural relevance and popularity of yakshi myth shows that there are multitudes of readings and adaptations available based on the lore, but very few based on yakshi murals. Unlike modern readings, Yakshi murals provide a fresh idea regarding the relevance of yakshi in the cultural canvas. So, based on the decodings of the visual and cultural artefacts, this paper attempts to delve into the narrative possibilities of the mural arts medium for knowledge dissemination. In the examination, it was found that colonial intrigues and the advent of modern media have impacted and subdued the regional art forms from serving their purpose. Therefore, this paper also aims to examine the potentiality of mural artworks in interdisciplinary endeavours.
Keywords: Mural art, yakshi myth, chromatics, iconographies, visual narratives etc.