Matsya - Kerala Mural Archive

Alangad, ASG_P003 — Matsya: full panel view

Detail Photos

Deity: Matsya Location: Alangad Sree Santana Gopala Murthy Temple Theme: Non-narrative Visual Feature: Background pattern Visual Feature: Facial expression detail Visual Feature: Hand gesture (mudra)Visual Feature: Ornamentation

Vishnu's figure, lower half resembling that of a fish tail and upper half of human, is holding four children in his hands. It appears as if he has retrieved the children from the flood waters below.

Iconography

Primary Deity/Figure: Matsya
Secondary Figures: Four Vedas as children
Iconographic Form: Matsya (Vishnu's incarnation)
Iconographic Attributes: Blue-skinned Vishnu with four arms and lower body resembling that of a fish. He has the shankha and chakra in his upper arms and is holding four infants in his lower arms. The four infants represent the Vedas. He is depicted as appearing from depths of the ocean.
Rasa: Shanta

Spatial & Architectural

Position in Pradakshina Sequence: 3
Adjacent Panels: Narada and Mahalakshmi

Narrative

Textual Source: Non-narrative
Mythological Tale: Asura named Hayagriva had stolen the Vedas, and Vishnu takes the avatar of a Matsya, the half human half fish figure, and retrieves the Vedas from the demon. This particular depiction also shows how Matsya avatar is retrieving the four Vedas from the ocean. The Vedas are in the form of children. This is similar to a popular depiction of Matsya avatar by Raja Ravi Varma, the famous painter.
Episode: Non narrative

Condition & Documentation

Condition: Fair
Deterioration Type: Pigment loss
Restoration Status: Unrestored
Documentation Type: DSLR full panel
Permission Basis: Temple authorities
Date of Documentation: 08/08/2024
Artist: Neelakantan Ilayath
Identifier: ASG_P003
Rights / Notes: These images may not be reproduced, redistributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior permission.