Ganapathi Pooja (Panel 1) - Kerala Mural Archive

Kadavil Thrikkovil, KTK_P035 — Ganapathi: full panel view

Detail Photos

Kadavil Thrikkovil, KTK_P035 — Ganapathi: detail view 1 of 3

Kadavil Thrikkovil, KTK_P035 — Ganapathi: detail view 2 of 3

Kadavil Thrikkovil, KTK_P035 — Ganapathi: detail view 3 of 3

Deity: Ganapathi Location: Kadavil Thrikkovil Sreekrishna Swamy Temple Theme: Local tradition Visual Feature: Facial expression detail Visual Feature: Hand gesture (mudra)Visual Feature: Ornamentation

Life of a normal people surrounding the temple is depicted in this particular panel. There are several men fighting over who gets the unniyappam or sweet prasadam, while one woman looks on with her child in her arms. There are several children with their palms spread out waiting for the unniyappam. There is another man with a vessel filled with unniyappam distributing it to the people.

Iconography

Primary Deity/Figure: Ganapathi
Secondary Figures: Several common people
Iconographic Form: Ganapathi
Iconographic Attributes: A golden-skinned Brahmin with a janau or poonool is wearing a white colored dhoti with a red band on it. He is holding a basket-like vessel filled with unniyappams. He is handing over the unniyappam to different people. There is a red-skinned boy waiting for the unniyappam, as well as two yellow-skinned children waiting to receive the unniyappam. Behind them is another Brahmin, green-skinned, with hair in a bun, about to disperse the people fighting by swishing a cane stick. A dark-skinned man and a green-skinned man are seen fighting. They are wearing mundu, the style commonly found in Kerala. There is also a woman, green-skinned, in the upper left corner of the panel, holding a newborn baby in her hands. She has a huge thoda or ear ornament in her ears.
Rasa: Shanta

Spatial & Architectural

Zone within Temple: Sanctum
Position in Pradakshina Sequence: 35
Adjacent Panels: Agni and Ganapathi Pooja (Panel 2)

Narrative

Textual Source: Local tradition
Mythological Tale: After Ganapathi pooja, the unniyappam that has been served to the god will be distributed to the devotees who are gathered outside, and this is common for fights to break out between who gets more number of unniyappams. So this particular scene depicts an everyday life in the temple premises. There is young boys and older men all waiting for receiving the unniyappam.
Episode: Ganapathi Pooja
Position within Narrative Sequence: 1 out of 2

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_P035
Rights / Notes: These images may not be reproduced, redistributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior permission.