Arpitha Reddy’s Vishwam at Hyderabad’s Kalakriti Art Gallery is about the gathering of gorgeous gods created in the temple mural style of Guruvayoor Kerala with contemporary elements. To step into the portals of the gallery with these gleaming divinities is to be drawn into a universe of devotion and boons.
More than anything this exhibition is about the beauty of forms the beauty of decorative embellishments and the importance of the gods and nature and how they thrive and throb in the lush lap of Prakriti. As humans we are given lessons in preservation and conservation of the earth which we have forgotten in the races within races of human egos and nations .
Yugantara and ten incarnations
Integral and imperative is the Yugantara image. Crested within the sacred Namam tilak worn by devotees one of the most evocative portraits is that of Yugantara a powerful representation of the eternal presence of Lord Vishnu through his ten incarnations, the Dashavataras. Arpitha says the Namam, a revered symbol associated with Lord Vishnu, serves as the focal point, embodying the cyclical nature of existence—creation, preservation, and destruction.
Each avatar of Vishnu within the Namam signifies his divine intervention across different Yugas (cosmic ages) to protect dharma and restore balance to the universe.
Most beautiful is the Garuda, the mighty celestial vahana of Lord Vishnu, carrying the Namam embedded with the Dashavataras. His powerful wings and majestic form symbolize unwavering devotion and the strength required to uphold the cosmic order. Garuda’s presence in Yugantara is not merely as a vehicle but as a protector and enabler of divine will, reflecting his deep connection to Lord Vishnu and his role in the preservation of righteousness.
The combination of the Namam, with the eternal avatars of Vishnu and Garuda, encapsulates the everlasting divine grace. It serves as a timeless reminder of the interwoven cycles of life, the preservation of dharma, and the assurance of Lord Vishnu’s protection of Yugas.
Arpitha’s Surya and Chandra are depicted inside a mandala. Surya the Sun God is depicted with burnt terracotta rays outlining the concentric whirl while Chandra is depicted against blue clouds that belong to the elements of Buddhist thangkas .Both images have gods on lotuses. The colour connotations add to the depth of the metaphoric associations of both sun and moon. Contrasting colour tones alternate between warm and cool tenors and create their own rhythms of the earth. The ecological echoes of the sun and the moon create their own kinetics.
Lord Vishnu
Here in many avtaars as well as the witness of the universe, Lord Vishnu is highlighted as omnipresent in nature and belongs to cycles of creation and dissolution. Three versions in subtle shades create their own resonance of sacred symbolism.
Lord Vishnu reflects qualities of divinity. Always embellished with gorgeous garlands, luminous colours created in lyrical as well as linear rhythms he is always presented with a halo along with a profusion of animal forms and the Panchatatva (five elements ).
Arpitha says: “I tried to show the magnificent presence of Vishnu – omnipresent and all-pervading, with the sun, moon, and clouds.” The treatment of the form and the colours in the composition all create its own spiritual synergy.
Alankara Priya
‘Alaṃkārapriyo Viṣṇur’: Vishnu’s love for adornment highlights the importance of beauty, devotion, and purity of the spiritual journey, affirming his role as the protector of the universe. He is often shown wearing intricate garlands, divine jewellery, and sacred ornaments. The lotus garland, Kaoustubha Mani, Vijayanthi Mala, along with his attributes—the Shanka, Chakra, and Gadha—not only enhances his majestic presence but also symbolizes the deep devotion and love of his devotees, reflecting their reverence for his grace and power.
Vishwam
Arpitha says: “Vishwam is Vishnu, and Vishnu is Vishvam emphasizes that Lord Vishnu is the embodiment of the universe and its all-pervading presence.
Vishnu’s hands and symbols
Vishnu’s four hands hold the shanka, the lotus, the chakra and the mace .The shankha, or conch shell is one of his primary attributes. It symbolizes purity, brilliance, auspicious beginnings, and luster. It also represents the five elements of the panchatatva. The shankha is said to have originated when deities churned the ocean and Lord Vishnu adopted it as a weapon. It is known to cleanse the soul and surroundings of negative energies, it protects from evil spirits. The shankha is called Panchajanya, which means “five elements”. When blown, the shankha is said to produce the primeval sound of creation.
Chakra
Lord Vishnu holds the Sudarshan Chakra. The word is formed from “Su” and “Darshan”, while Su means auspicious, Darshan means Vision.The Sudarshan Chakra is the divine disc of Lord Vishnu, and is held in his right index finger. It protects those who are righteous and destroys evil forces. It restores law and order in the world. It grants protection from negativity and blesses people with spiritual well-being.
Mace (gada)
On another hand Lord Vishnu holds the Kaumodaki the mace (gada) which signifies the ‘captivator of the mind .’
Lotus
Lord Vishnu also holds the lotus flower, a symbol of purity, transcendence, and dharma, or cosmic law.
Lord Vishnu is generally depicted as holding the lotus in his lower left hand. A Shaiva myth describes Vishnu’s worship of Shiva with 1008 lotus flowers, offering one for each of his epithets.
Swayambhu:
Vishnu manifests Himself by his own will, incarnating from time to time to restore Dharma and guide humanity.
As stated in the Bhagavad Gita:
(Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśhāya cha duṣhkṛitām dharma-sansthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge)
“For the protection of the good and destruction of the wicked and establishing of Dharma.”
Vishwam focuses on the omnipresent nature of Vishnu. Vishnu is the most important and powerful deity – the great preserver, vanquishing those who seek to destroy the balance of the universe. His form showcases divine attributes, embellished with exquisite garlands and radiant colors, integrating lyrical and linear elements throughout the composition.
Vl. The color green of Vishnu, symbolizes his role as the preserver of life and the sustainer of the cosmos in the rhythms of the universe.
Colour and forms
In these images we are reminded both of carvings as well as murals symbolized by the figures of gods and goddesses with nature’s elements and lotus blossoms bound with them. Colour and contour are both essential segments of these works, and we are looking at a love for the human figure. The colours that orchestrate imagery as well as expression range from soft to darker shades to create multiple intensities. We can imagine these deities sunk into relief patterns over years, we can also imagine them rising out of faded frescoes. Outlines and contours are Arpitha’s felicity with flow and fervour. We can imagine the twilight hours when the brilliant Indian summer casts its shadows on temple ramparts. Arpitha plays with horizontal as well as vertical registers to create her gods.
Rasa and Raga both play out in the iconic imagery that regales our senses. It is the multiple folds in the attire, the traditional idiom of the folds of the dhoti or the saris that add to the tinge of rasa in these works. The raaga is one that plays within our inner instincts as we imagine the kritis of Thyagaraja with Balamurlikrishna singing along the beaches of South India in his impeccable baritone. This exhibition Vishwam is a universe in verse, it hails the great poet Thiruvalluvar and his many lyrics in praise of the Gods.
Arpitha Reddy’s Vishwam continues her odyssey in the depth and mystery of the Universe in the verses of Indian antiquity found in the Bhagvada Puranas.
Arpitha Reddy Studio
