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Dwarapalakan

Kadavil Thrikkovil, KTK_P041 — Dwarapalakan: full panel view

Detail Photos

Kadavil Thrikkovil, KTK_P041 — Dwarapalakan: full panel viewKadavil Thrikkovil, KTK_P041 — Dwarapalakan: detail view
Deity: Guardian FiguresLocation: Kadavil Thrikkovil Sreekrishna Swamy TempleTheme: Non-narrativeVisual Feature: Hand gesture (mudra)Visual Feature: Ornamentation

Image of a Dwarapalaka. He is standing with one arm raised up and the other arm held down. He has huge claws, fangs, bulging eyes. One leg planted on the floor, the other leg raised up. The image is highly faded.

Iconography

Primary Deity/Figure
Dwarapalakan
Iconographic Form
Guardian deity
Iconographic Attributes
Green-skinned figure with bulging eyes, open mouth, fangs, claws, wearing a reddish upper garment and a dhoti of unknown color, right leg raised, left leg planted on the ground, right arm raised up near the face, left arm brought to the right side of the body. Heavily faded image.
Rasa
Shanta

Spatial & Architectural

Zone within Temple
Sanctum
Position in Pradakshina Sequence
41
Adjacent Panels
Shiva

Narrative

Textual Source
Non-narrative
Mythological Tale
Found at the right side of entrance to Ganapathi’s nada (shrine), dwarapalaka is meant as the protective guardians of gates, doors or entrances. They are depicted as strong and fierce with fangs, claws and weapons like the mace.
Episode
Non-narrative

Condition & Documentation

Condition
Poor
Deterioration Type
Pigment loss
Restoration Status
Unrestored
Documentation Type
DSLR full panel
Permission Basis
Temple priest
Date of Documentation
15/07/2024
Artist
Unknown
Identifier
KTK_P041
Rights / Notes
These images may not be reproduced, redistributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior permission.
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Kerala Mural Archive
Kerala Mural Archive
Preserving Heritage, Digitally.
Curated by
Radhika Suresh
PhD Research Scholar, Digital Humanities
School of Liberal Arts
Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur
ORCID: 0009-0004-5523-1452
How to Cite
Suresh, Radhika. Kerala Mural Archive.
IIT Jodhpur, 2026.
keralamuralarchive.in
Rights & Permissions
Images from active temple sites are published with permission from the respective governing authorities. For non-commercial research use with attribution.
Full rights statement and image credits →
Acknowledgements: Fieldwork access granted by temple and palace governing authorities across Kerala. This archive is part of a doctoral research project at IIT Jodhpur.
Copyright © 2026 Kerala Mural Archive. All rights reserved.
keralamuralarchive@gmail.com Archive last updated: September 2026