Tamil Heritage Trust
Tamil Heritage Trust - "Chola Murals of Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur: A New Perspective" by P S Sriraman
Online Talk in English on October 4, 2025, 5.30 pm IST
YouTube link of the talk
In 2004, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) initiated the
challenging photo documentation exercise of the Chola murals found in
the dark circumambulatory of the sanctum sanctorum of the Brihadisvara
temple, Thanjavur, the magnum opus edifice of the great Chola king
Rajaraja. The project brought to light the complete images of each
panel. P.S.Sriraman, led the initiative and later authored a book with
detailed descriptions of the murals and many hitherto unknown facets of
the themes portrayed. Two decades later, as he looks back at the images,
he discerns many new facets and dimensions of these masterpieces of
art.
In his talk P.S.Sriraman will introduce the objectives, methodology and
outcomes of the documentation of the murals. He will then share newer
interpretations of some of the panels, while answering questions like:
"Are the murals decorative or a tool like the inscriptions of the temple
recording contemporary events or simply Chitrasalas of images?”
P.S.Sriraman’s association with the Archaeological Survey of
India began in 1984 as a PG Diploma student. Subsequently, he joined ASI
in a permanent capacity in 1987. He has conducted intensive fieldwork
in the Kolar region for documenting its archaeological wealth besides
other similar initiatives in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. He has
participated in excavations at Banahalli, Kolar district a
proto-historic site, at Gingee, a medieval site, and at Keeladi and
Kodumanal, early historic sites in Tamil Nadu.
He has managed the museums at Lothal, Fort St George Museum, Chennai and
Hampi, where he organised extensive re-organisation work. He had a
brief stint in Agra where he was instrumental in displaying all
excavated antiquities including the Jain images and Mughal artefacts in
the Fatehpur Sikri museum. The Kalibangan museum was reorganised under
his guidance.
He has undertaken several conservation projects at the Forts of
Chittorgarh, Kumbalgarh and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and many other
monuments in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Sriraman was instrumental in the design and execution of the
documentation of the Chola murals in the Brihadisvara temple, Thanjavur
and also the Kangara murals at Tira Sujanpur. He has authored two books:
Chōl̲a Murals: Documentation and Study of the Chōl̲a Murals of
Bṛihadīśvara Temple, Thanjavur, (2010), Murals of Tira Sujanpur (2013),
published by Archaeological Survey of India.
Tamil Heritage Trust
tamilheritage.in
tamilheritage.in@gmail.com
youtube.com/@TamilHeritageTrust
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