About the Mural
The ancient temple of goddess Mookambika is one of the most important centers for Tantric Shakti worship in India. It was founded by the legendary saint Adi Shankaracharya and the core structure was completed in 800 AD. It is located in the state of Karnataka, nestled in the lushly-forested Kodachadri hills on the southern bank of Souparnika River in a village called Kollur (near Udupi).
The deities to be included in the mural are: Agni (God of Fire), the only male deity included because of the mural’s location near the temple’s sacrificial fires; Ganeswari (Female Ganesha, AKA Vinayaki), guardian of thresholds, queen of categories; Nanda (Youthful Goddess of Delight), bliss-giving goddess of fertility and beauty, protector of Rishis; Rekadandika (Red-Toothed One, AKA Chamunda), fierce remover of impurities; Mahasaraswati (She Who Flows), goddess of arts & language; Mookarsura Chedani (AKA Durga/Mahisha Mardini), universal protector, destroyer of demons; Mahakali (AKA Bhadra Kali), goddess of time, wrathful destroyer of Illusions; Dakshinamurthi Rupini (Shiva in female form), a very rare form of the Supreme Guru as a goddess; Shakambari (Goddess of Nourishment), the world is her body, worshipped in the form of fruit and vegetables; Bhramari (Goddess Bees), embodiment of nectar and vibration; a form of Durga; and Pratyangira (Lion Goddess), fierce protector of devotees and dispeller of black magic.
The paintings will be installed in the area of the temple dedicated to Chandi Homam (fire ceremony). This is a very sacred space where thousands of mantras praising the goddess are chanted every day. This is a long hall inside and along the south side of the outer temple wall. (You can see a diagram in the banner image at the top of this page.) The paintings will be hung where devotees wait for the fire ceremonies to begin. They will also be visible to anyone queued (lined up) for entry into the main sanctum or walking through the main procession area.
We expect that the project will require more than a year of focused effort. After the preliminary drawings are made and approved by the priests, they will be enlarged and transferred to durable linen canvases, each approximately 1 x 1.5 m. The paintings will be executed with oil colors. These artworks will then be mounted with protective frames and plexiglass shields, as well as dedicated lighting, for the upliftment of temple visitors. It is likely they will remain in this location for hundreds of years.
About the Sri Mookambika Temple
Sri Mookambika temple, one of India’s most important centers of Tantric goddess worship, was founded by the legendary saint Adi Shankaracharya. The core structure was completed in 800 AD and is located in the state of Karnataka, nestled in the lushly-forested Kodachadri hills on the southern bank of the Souparnika River.
The temple is particularly renowned for its association with the arts. Many performers and artists make pilgrimages there for the goddess’ blessing to inspire their creative work.
If you are interested in traveling to the temple, you can find more information here.