Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Strokes for his pictures are the holy verses

M. Balaganessin

Novel attempt of combining calligraphy and painting Combining calligraphy with painting skills, Srinivasan, a bank employee has brought out the presiding deities of 108 Vaishanavite Divya Desam

IMPRESSIVE LINES: An image of Sri Ramanujar painted by Srinivasan. — Photo: R. Ashok

TIRUCHI: If you are drawn by the minute calligraphy, you will most probably tend to miss the overall picture. The reverse would also be equally true at a unique exhibition got up in Srirangam by a bank official of the city.

Combining calligraphy with painting skills, S.R. Srinivasan, an employee of the State Bank of India, has vividly brought out the presiding deities of the 108 Vaishanavite Divya Desam. And only on a closer look that one could discern a pattern _ the paintings are all made up with a string of minutely written `paasurams.' His knowledge of Naalayira Divya Prabandham and mastery in painting has come in handy to draw the images in different styles.

Mr. Srinivasan's interest in drawing and his capability to adapt Tamil alphabets to any desired length, size or shape made him work on the project. Obviously, the Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy temple which has been sung by all the 11 Azhwars accounts for a maximum number of 247 Paasurams in the images of Sri Ranganathaswamy and Sri Ranganayaki.

While combining the painting and the `Paasuram', he used to chalk out a plan. He used to collect the `Paasurams' pertaining to a particular deity. The choice of the `Paasuram' for different parts of the image is also carefully worked out. For instance, the ten `Paasurams' by Tiruppanazhwar (also known as `Amalanadhipiran') describing every part of Sri Ranganathaswamy has been rightly chosen to draw the holy feet, mouth, eyes, body, neck and eyes of the deity. He has also painted the images of Sri Ramanujar, Sadguru Sri Thyagaraja Swamigal and the Tirumanthiram, Dwayam and Sarama slokam.Mr. Srinivasan, is also willing to train others in this unique art form. The exhibition underway at the Sri Ananthachariar Swamy Tirumaaligai in Srirangam will be open till Monday.

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