"Vaikuntha Narayana" Vishnu as the Lord of Vaikuntha | Traditional Colors With 24K Gold

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This Tanjore Vishnu painting presents him as the lord of Vaikuntha, sitting on the coils of the Adi-Shesha, the embodiment of time along with his wives- Lakshmi or Sri on his right, four-armed, holding her distinctive attribute, the lotus flower and Bhu Devi, the earth goddess on the left, with her hands folded in reverence, thanking the Lord for always coming to her rescue. The hoods of the serpent Shesha form a royal canopy over Vishnu, who is in the graceful Maharaja-lilasana, a regal posture. The divine trio is seen in this exquisite Tanjore painting, on the platform created by coils of Shesha, a blossomed white lotus, and a gold pedestal, surrounded by a number of divine beings, who are given an individual appearance through the use of various colors in the painting. Under Vishnu’s dangling foot, there are two lines of celestial maidens expressing their devotion to Narayana.

A profusion of glittering golden color is achieved by the 24 karat gold, following the traditional pattern of Tanjore art, which has laced this Sri Vishnu painting with a distinctive radiance. The outer structure of Vaikuntha has been visualized as a royal palace whose canopies and arches studded with attractive gemstones are in the style of authentic Tanjore painting. In the background, beautifying the vast blue sky painted with pleasing blue and white are the sun and the moon- the two powerful heavenly bodies who are lucky enough to witness the eternal Lilas (plays) of Vishnu.

In the midst of the gathering of beings who glow with the aura of their divinity, together with Sri and Bhu Devi, female deities who are the source of all beauty, regalia, and opulence, Vishnu in this Tanjore painting, glowing clad in golden ornaments that adorn his extra-terrestrial body appears to be “Neela Kamala”- the blue water lily that is the eternal fragrant source of exquisiteness for the waters (primordial ocean) that He inhabits.  

Gilded Elegance: Unraveling the Artistry of Tanjore Paintings

Tanjore painting is a traditional form of art in the South Indian style and was started by the inhabitants of a small town known as Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu. This gives it another name called “Thanjavur painting”. This painting draws its figures, designs, and inspiration from the time when Vedic culture was prevalent in India. Certain remarkable features of a Tanjore painting distinguish it from other paintings. Some of these are pure gold or gold foil coating on gesso work, the use of rich and vivid colors, and the inlay of cut-glass or semi-precious and precious stones. The subjects of most of the Tanjore paintings are Hindu Gods, Goddesses, and saints. The main devotional figure is portrayed in the central portion of the painting and is usually surrounded by various secondary figures.

The process of making a Tanjore painting

The classic Tanjore paintings are done on wooden planks and hence are also referred to as Palagai Padam in South India (Palagai = Wooden plank, Padam = Picture). Creating a masterpiece is never an easy task but the skilled artists of Thanjavur have been following the tradition of making timeless Tanjore paintings for decades.

The making process begins with preparing the wooden board or canvas. The size of the board depends upon the choice of the patron. The next step is to paste cardboard over the wooden board and then a cotton fabric is stretched and pasted upon it using Arabic gum.

Now that the cloth is attached to the wooden panel, a rough sketch of the motifs and figure is drawn onto the fabric. After this, a paste of chalk powder and water-soluble adhesive is evenly applied over the base and smoothed.

Thereafter, the outlines which were made or traced using a stencil are now ready to be beautified and decked with various add-ons. The usual materials for decoration are cut-glass, pearls, semi-precious and precious gems, gold leaf, and laces. 22 or 18 Karat Gold leaves and gems of varied hues are especially inlaid in areas like pillars, arches, walls, thrones, and dresses. In the final step, the rest of the painting is filled with rich and striking colors such as shades of red, blue, and green. Formerly, the artists used natural colors like vegetable and mineral dyes instead of chemical paints. The entire painting is then cleaned and refined to give a flawless finished look.

Since the making of a single piece of Tanjore painting requires a complex and elaborate process, the artists usually take at least one or two months to complete it. The use of pure gold foil and gems for beautification is a characteristic of an authentic Tanjore painting. Due to this, Tanjore paintings last for generations without getting tarnished and are much more expensive than general paintings. Though the art form has undergone various changes and technique modifications over the years, it continues to attract the hearts of art lovers.