Madurai Artist Creates 64 Lord Shiva Paintings On Postcards In 60 Days

Painting is one of the oldest art forms. It has continually evolved over time. Through brush strokes, profound ideas can be conveyed. In this context, Thangaraj from Avaniyapuram, Madurai, has created impressive paintings on postcards, illustrating the 64 Thiruvilayadal of Lord Shiva (Tiruvilayadal Purana is an epic describing the sixty four divine games played by Lord Shiva). From a young age, Thangaraj developed an interest in painting by drawing cartoons found in Ambulimama books. Gradually, he progressed from cartoon drawings to portrait paintings, sculpture paintings, pencil drawings, and watercolour drawings, eventually becoming an art teacher at a private school. While exploring various types of painting, he wanted to do something innovative. Recognising that postcards, once bearers of messages, are now nearly obsolete due to the prevalence of cell phones, he decided to raise awareness about postcards by painting the 64 Thiruvilayadal of Shiva on them.

To achieve this, Thangaraj visited various Shiva temples to gather information and also studied books in libraries. He began by sketching in pencil and then used colour pencils and black pen to complete the paintings. The entire process took him 60 days, with him painting one or two Thiruvilayadal each day to complete all 64 in 60 days.

Additionally, in the Meenakshi Amman Temple area, where cell phones are prohibited, he has drawn numerous stone sculptures, including those of Sage Patanjali, the stone carvings around the Swami Sannadhi, and the statues in the dark mandapam, using pencil to match the historical period accurately.

In the category of watercolour paintings, Thangaraj has artistically depicted dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Poikkal Kuthirai, Karakattam, and Parai Attam using pencil and watercolours. To date, he has drawn more than 150 miniature paintings on visiting cards, depicting natural scenes and cartoon portraits using pencil, pen, sketch, and colour pencil. He has also skillfully painted natural landscapes and mountain scenes on palm leaves.

Looking ahead, Thangaraj’s next goal is to illustrate the meanings of Thirukkural’s 1330 couplets through his paintings, making the essence of Thirukkural easily understandable for the younger generation.