5000 years old pre-historic paintings - Porivarai-Nilgiris-Tamil Nadu

Porivarai [Karikkaiyur]

ART ATTACK: Drawings as old as 5000 years face threat from vandals,who have defaced most of the works by adding their element of creativity

Until a year ago,the rocks of Porivarai boasted of prehistoric paintings.Drawings of deer,bull,mongoose,elephant and figures of human beings,dating back to 5,000 years,decorated the hill,situated near Karikkiyoor,34km from Kotagiri in the Nilgiris.Today,the paintings face threat from vandals,who have defaced most of the works by adding their own bit of creativity.The graffiti by the vandals,using ordinary paints over the prehistoric works,indicates scant regard for heritage.

K T Gandhirajan,a member of the team that excavated the rock art of Porivarai in 2004,said he visited the spot every year and agonised over the vandalism.The original drawings were clearly visible when we excavated the place with the help of a local person.The graffiti you see today is the handwork of a mentally disturbed person from the nearby village.He goes to the site often and draws religious symbols on the prehistoric works, said Gandhirajan.The Porivarai rock art panel,according to him,is the largest in south India.

Even though the team that excavated the site immediately reported its findings to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as well as the state archaeology department in 2004,neither took charge of it.If either of them had taken over the site,it would have helped us to protect it, said Gandhirajan.There are seven rock art sites in and around Kotagiri.Porivarai is the largest among them.It has more than 450 paintings,drawn in ochre and lime and made of natural pigments during different periods.There are plants,animals,human figures,including group scenes from battlefields and also of men riding on horses with weapons (bow and arrow,sword and shield) chasing the bulls.

Dakshina Murthy,a heritage art expert based in Delhi who happened to visit the place recently,said the rock panel in Porivarai was priceless.The drawings have a solid form,created from using white kaolin and red ochre.Some of the figures have three layers of depictions,indicating different periods or visits of artists to convey their visual expressions.The entire panel would have been filled with images over a long period showcasing the rich tradition of visual thinking, said Dakshina Murthy.

Although awareness drives,initiated by heritagelovers in and around Kotagiri,helped the locals understand the importance of the prehistoric rock art sites around them,many feel it is not enough.What you see in Porivarai is an insult to our civilization.Its high time the government stepped in to protect the site, said Dakshina Murthy.The original depictions can be restored.But,for this the government should first take over the site and provide it protection,said Gandhiraja.

4500 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பே வீரத் தமிழன் விளையாட்டு!

அழிவின் பிடியில் கற்கால பாறை ஓவியங்கள்: 'கண் விழிக்குமா' தொல்லியல் துறை?

நீலகிரி கரிக்கையூர் பாறை ஓவியங்களின் சிறப்பு: கீழ் கோத்தகிரி அருகே கரிக்கையூர் பொறிவரை வனத்தில் உள்ள பாறை ஓவியங்கள், 300 அடி உயரமும், 500 அடி அகலமும் கொண்ட ஒரே பாறையில் வரையப்பட்டுள்ளன. இதில், 500க்கும் மேற்பட்ட பல்வேறு ஓவியங்கள் உள்ளன. இந்த பாறைக்கு அடியில் ஒரே நேரத்தில் 100 பேர் எளிதாக தங்கும் அளவுக்கு இட வசதி உள்ளது. இதனால், இப்பகுதியில் பழங்கால மனிதர்கள் அதிகளவில் தங்கியிருக்க வாய்ப் புள்ளதாக கருதப்படுகிறது. இதிலுள்ள மனித உருவங் கள் நடனமாடும் வகையிலும், போர்க் கருவிகளுடன் சண்டையிடும் காட்சிகளும், யானை மீது போர் கருவிகளுடன் அமர்ந்திருக்கும் காட்சிகளும், குதிரை, குரங்கு, காட்டு பன்றி, மாடு,எருது, ராட்சத பல்லி, மான், மீன் போன்ற உருவங்களும் காணப்படுகின்றன.

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