Kamadeva - Kerala Mural Archive

Kadavil Thrikkovil, KTK_P039 — Indra: full panel view

Detail Photos

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

This might be the figure of Kamadeva sitting on top of an elephant. He has four arms, two of which is holding a bow and an arrow. The arrow is flower-tipped. He has three eyes and is green-skinned. His elephant is also blue-skinned and decorated with the nettipattam, that is an ornamentation worn by elephants in Kerala during processions. The elephant also has a huge tusk.

Iconography

Primary Deity/Figure: Indra
Iconographic Form: Indra
Iconographic Attributes: Green-skinned, four-armed figure, may be Kamadeva, holding a flower-tipped bow in his upper right hand and an arrow in his upper left hand. His lower two arms are not discernible. He is sitting on top of an elephant. It could be Kamadeva's mount, Sambhodhana. The elephant is greenish in color. He wears an ornate crown. He has three eyes. There is an arch surrounding him. The arch is like a halo and is reddish yellow in color.
Rasa: Shanta

Spatial & Architectural

Zone within Temple: Sanctum
Position in Pradakshina Sequence: 39
Adjacent Panels: Dakshinamurthi and Shiva

Narrative

Textual Source: Non-narrative
Mythological Tale: There is a high possibility that the image in this panel may be of Kamadeva. Though a huge portion of this panel is damaged and faded, it is possible to make out a green-skinned figure with three eyes and four arms. Two of the arms are holding a bow and arrow. The arrow in his hand is flower-tipped, which again is suggestive that the person depicted here might be Kamadeva. He is wearing a red upper garment. He is sitting on top of an elephant, which might be Summodana his mount.
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: 10/05/2025
Artist: Unknown
Identifier: KTK_P039
Rights / Notes: These images may not be reproduced, redistributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior permission.