Kalki - Kerala Mural Archive

Kadavil Thrikkovil, KTK_P037: full panel view

Detail Photos

Deity: Kalki Location: Kadavil Thrikkovil Sreekrishna Swamy Temple Theme: Non-narrative Visual Feature: Facial expression detail Visual Feature: Hand gesture (mudra)Visual Feature: Ornamentation

Kalki is the final or tenth avatar of avatar or incarnation of Vishnu. He is believed to emerge at the end of Kali Yuga and would eliminate all beings from the earth, cleansing the earth from its burden. The Kalki here is green-skinned with the face of a horse, holding a sword in his right hand, while his left hand is holding a shield. There is a red backdrop.

Iconography

Iconographic Attributes: Green-skinned Kalki, wearing a red upper jacket and a yellow lower garment. He is wearing lots of jewelry, holding a sword in his right hand and a shield in his left hand. He has the face of a horse. He is set against a red backdrop.
Rasa: Shanta

Spatial & Architectural

Zone within Temple: Sanctum
Position in Pradakshina Sequence: 37
Adjacent Panels: Ganapathi Pooje (panel 2) and Dakshinamurthi

Narrative

Textual Source: Non-narrative
Mythological Tale: It is very rare for Kerala murals to depict Kalki in his complete form. But here in this panel, Kalki is depicted completely, as completely formed, with the sword in his hand and a shield in his other hand. He has face of a horse and is fierce-looking. M. G. Shasibhooshan, in his work Keralathile chuvarchitrangal, talks about how this might be an instance of the local people reaching out to Lord Vishnu, hoping that he will save them from the invading Tipu's army.
Episode: Non-narrative

Condition & Documentation

Condition: Good
Deterioration Type: Pigment loss
Restoration Status: Unrestored
Documentation Type: DSLR full panel
Permission Basis: Temple priest
Date of Documentation: 10/05/2025
Artist: Unknown
Identifier: KTK_P037
Rights / Notes: These images may not be reproduced, redistributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior permission.