|
ART
& CRAFTS IN TAMILNADU, INDIA |
The heart of Tamilaham, the home of the Tamils
or Tamil Nadu, lies around and south of the curve
of the Eastern Ghats as it goes to merge with
the Western Ghats in the Nilgiris. Some of the
oldest prehistoric settlements of India have been
found in this area, which has also been the cradle
of ancient arts and crafts and industries, a land
of innumerable, incomparable temples. |
The development of the region has been attested
by several writers of olden times. Pliny the
Younger of Rome and others have written of the
Tamil country in the 1st and 2nd century AD
as being a source of silk, fine muslin, ivory
work and diamonds, rubies, pearls and tortoise
shell. Even earlier, Kautilya (circa 300 BC)
referred to pearls of the Taamraparni River
in Pandyan country and cotton fabrics from Madurai
and sandalwood carvings.
|
 |
|
The earliest monuments in stone belong to the
Pallava period AD 550 to 912. Of these, cave
sculptures, rathas or chariots and other sculptures
of Mamallapuram and Kanchipuram are outstanding.
It may be noted that the Pallavas inscribed
their epigraphs in Sanskrit.
Simultaneously, the Pandyas, who ruled from
590 to 920 AD, left cave temples around Tiruchirappalli
and Namakkal. Their period is known for the
Jain cave paintings of Sittannavasal in Pudukottai
district.
But the classical age of Tamil culture belongs
to the period of the Cholas, who ruled from
AD 850 to 1279. The famous bronzes of Tamil
Nadu reached their acme of development and the
greatest Natarajas appeared at this time. The
other arts, including dance, music, theatre
and literature, attained their zenith.
|
|
|
In 1370, Madurai was
taken over by the Vijayanagar kings, who consolidated
their supremacy all over Tamil Nadu. This was
a period of frenzied artistic activity and the
seeds were sown for the heavy stylization of
various art forms. Much of today's art is derived
from the love of the baroque developed during
this period.
|
|
After the terrible battle of Talikota in 1564
and the rout of the Vijayanagar army, Tamil
Nadu was carved up by local chieftains. The
most important of these were the Nayaks, of
whom Thirumala Nayak was a great patron of the
arts. The various city-states were engaged in
wars with each other and frequently changed
hands, going from local chieftains to the Marathas
and the Musilms, till they all finally fell
to the British. After the Nayaks, the arts had
little or no patronoge and rapid degeneration
set in.
Through all the turbulent political upheavals,
religion remained a major motivating force in
Tamil Nadu. The temple was the focus of activity,
with the shops and houses planned around it.
There could be no village without at least one
temple -- in fact, a village without a temple
is likened to man without a soul. The role of
religion was so important that most crafts had
been adapted to serve religious needs - from
the bronzes depicting the gods to simple basketry,
where even the designs and weave may have cosmic
connotations. The deep, strong roots of religion
provided a binding force and a major role for
the arts.
|
Because classical culture had been a strong,
uninterrupted influence and religion deep-rooted,
the dividing line between art and folk crafts
faded over time - the village terracottas became
the great bronzes, the woodcarvings became great
monuments in stone. Thus, it is very difficult
to tell an art form apart from a craft. The
basic insularity of the culture protected it
from extraneous influences, which could have
changed its form, as happened elsewhere in India.
Instead, the creative genius of the people and
their love for the fine arts strengthened the
styles from within. Indeed, it may even be said
that stylization and regression of art in Tamil
Nadu commenced only after the introduction of
outside elements during the Vijayanagar period.
|
Although the whole state shares a common language
and culture, various parts developed their own
distinct styles. If the metalware and woodwork
of Chettinad are notable for their design, the
work in Thondaimandalam, the area surrounding
Kanchipuram, is known for its unique shape and
elegant simplicity. Textiles have their own
variation in weave and colour.
|
Post Independence has seen a big effort to revive
several languishing crafts and today handicrafts
have become a big industry, with major sales
all over India and abroad. But expansion has
not necessarily been beneficial, and indiscriminate
commercialization, in many cases, has marred
the beauty of ancient craft forms. However,
strong traditions die hard and the major role
of religion, with which most crafts are linked,
has ensured the preservation of much of the
tradition and great beauty.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
