ASKiIMAN™ REALM 35 / MURAL PAINTING TRADITIONS
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The Painted Caves

Bhimbetka, Ajanta & The Enduring Fresco Traditions

REALM 35 — MURAL PAINTING TRADITIONS

MICRO-REALM 01

Bhimbetka Rock Art

  • Prehistoric cave shelters (Madhya Pradesh).
  • Red and white mineral pigments (Hematite).
  • Scenes of hunting, dancing, and animal life.
MICRO-REALM 02

Jogimara Caves

  • Earliest surviving murals (Maurya/Sunga era).
  • Pre-Ajanta linear style in Chhattisgarh.
  • Concentric bands of fish, makaras, and figures.
MICRO-REALM 03

Ajanta Phase I

  • Satavahana period (Hinayana Buddhism).
  • Earth colors, no depiction of the Buddha in human form.
  • Jataka tales painted around chaityas and viharas.
MICRO-REALM 04

Ajanta Phase II

  • Vakataka period (Mahayana Buddhism).
  • Zenith of classical Indian painting.
  • Famous 'Padmapani' (Lotus Bearer) Bodhisattva.
MICRO-REALM 05

Bagh Caves

  • Contemporary to Ajanta Phase II (Madhya Pradesh).
  • More secular, courtly scenes and musical troupes.
  • Severe degradation of the distinct copper-blue pigments.
MICRO-REALM 06

Badami Murals

  • Chalukya dynasty patronage (6th century CE).
  • Earliest surviving Hindu mural paintings.
  • Depictions of Shiva and Parvati in courtly settings.
MICRO-REALM 07

Sittanavasal

  • Pandya era Jain rock-cut cave (Tamil Nadu).
  • Famous 'Lotus Pond' ceiling fresco.
  • Depicts monks gathering lotuses among fish and elephants.
MICRO-REALM 08

Ellora Murals

  • Rashtrakuta period (Kailasanatha Temple).
  • Stylistic shift: Sharp, angular lines.
  • "Projecting eye" motif anticipating later miniature styles.
MICRO-REALM 09

Chola Murals

  • Brihadisvara Temple ambulatory passage.
  • Monumental figures like Shiva Tripurantaka.
  • Original Chola layers discovered beneath later Nayaka overpainting.
MICRO-REALM 10

Lepakshi Murals

  • Vijayanagara style (Veerabhadra Temple).
  • Rich depiction of contemporary textiles and jewelry.
  • Two-dimensional, highly stylized profile figures.
MICRO-REALM 11

Kerala Murals

  • Ettumanoor and Padmanabhaswamy temples.
  • 'Panchavarna' palette (Red, Yellow, Green, Black, White).
  • Highly volumetric, robust, and rhythmic deity forms.
MICRO-REALM 12

Fresco Techniques

  • Fresco-secco: Painting on dry plaster (Ajanta style).
  • Buon fresco: Painting on wet lime plaster (rare in early India).
  • Pigments derived entirely from local minerals and earth.