Chola Impressions - Blog , Tanjore Paintings

10 ideas to decorate your home with Tanjore Paintings as per Vaastu Sastra

Wed, 29 May 2024 00:05:45 +0530

10 ideas to decorate your home with Tanjore Paintings

Here are 10 ideas to decorate your home with Tanjore paintings:

Create a gallery wall: Hang various sizes of Tanjore paintings together to create a beautiful gallery wall in your living room. Gaja Lakshmi Devi brings home wealth, health and happiness

Entrance decor: Place a medium or large-sized Tanjore painting in the entrance of your living room to give a grand welcome for your guests. As per Vaastu Sastra, Lord Ganesha Paintings are to be kept facing the entrance
Bedroom decor: Hang a beautiful and vibrant Tanjore painting on the wall behind your bed's headboard to make a stunning and royal statement in your bedroom. A non devotional Tanjore painting is best suited for Bedrooms
Display large Tanjore paintings: Large Tanjore paintings look perfect in spacious and well-lit rooms. Place them on your living room wall to create a stunning focal point. Tanjore Painting of Ayodhya Sri Ram Lalla is shown in the below illustration

Use Tanjore paintings as centerpiece: Place a small Tanjore painting on a coffee table or side table to add a touch of regality and elegance to the living room. Sri Nataraja Family and Naalvar is shown in the below illustration

Showcase in a mantle: If you have a mantle above your fireplace, place a Tanjore painting there to add a traditional and artistic flair to your space.
Mix and match: Mix and match different sizes and styles of Tanjore paintings to create a unique and eclectic display on your walls.
Ethnic Kitchen: If you have an ethnic kitchen, place a traditional Tanjore painting on one of the walls to elevate the beauty of your kitchen. Annapoorani Devi is a very good option for Kitchen and Dining Room
Decorate the staircase: Decorate your staircase with a series of Tanjore paintings to create a stunning and impressive statement.
Corner decoration: Highlight an empty corner of the living room with an impressive Tanjore painting to give a beautiful and artistic vibe. For staircase and corner decoration, non devotional paintings would do well

For your customized home requirement, Please get in touch with us on call/ whatsapp - +91-8825427058

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Eight Massive 11 ft Ashtalakshmi Tanjore Paintings made by us in record 18 days

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 21:10:40 +0530

20 different artists from Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Thiruvarur worked together for 18 days tirelessly to make Eight Lakshmi Paintings of size 11 feet each.

A feat that was never achieved before. No one thought it was even remotely possible. A 11 ft painting normally takes 3 months to make. But at Chola Impressions, we made 8 such paintings in just 18 days. Now we leave it to you to decide whether it is a record or not. We have uploaded the pictures of all Lakshmis below. We are sure it will be a feast for your eyes

Dhaanya Lakshmi

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Aadhi Lakshmi

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Dhana Lakshmi

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Gaja Lakshmi

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Santhana Lakshmi

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Vijaya Lakshmi

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Dhairya Lakshmi

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Maha Lakshmi

Paintings were made for a high profile marriage of a business tycoon family based in Hyderabad, while Mr. Sandeep Khosla was overseeing the project.

The quality of paintings was commended by Mr. Khosla. He also appreciated us for the timely delivery of the paintings in such a short notice

The wedding function at Hyderabad - Noted Celebrities like Rajinikanth, Allu Arjun, Nagarjuna, Amala attended the marriage ceremony

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Super Star Rajinikanth with the Bride & Groom - Keshav Reddy wed Veena Tera

Nagarjuna, Amala and Akhil

Allu Arjun, Suneil Shetty

Bride with her friends - Dhairya Lakshmi Tanjore Painting that we did can be seen in the back drop

Our Founder with our creation

Sandeep Khosla & others attending the ceremony

The marriage set up had 100 ft Tanjore Paintings that made the backdrop in the stage where the marriage ceremony is performed. Artists from all over India - Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Mumbai, Gujarat, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh worked for nearly 10 days to create this set up on an emptry ground adjacent to Hotel Novotel in Hyderabad.

We wish the bride and the groom a very happy, prosperous and healthy life blessed by the Ashtalakshmis Themselves!

Explore Lakshmi Devi Tanjore Paintings

What is a Tanjore Painting

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 21:55:58 +0530

A picture speaks thousand words. So lets see the images to understand what a Tanjore Painting is. Just images and nothing else

We are adding some of the best tanjore paintings we have made in the past - say 30 of them. This post should speak 30,000 words then?

Lakshmi Tanjore Painting

Ramar Pattabishekam Tanjore Painting

Krishna Tanjore Painting

Lakshmi Tanjore Painting

Dasavatar Tanjore Painting

Lakshmi Narasimhar Tanjore Painting

Lakshmi Hayagrivar Tanjore Painting

If you would like to know how Tanjore paintings are made, Read this blog for step-by-step illustration

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What is the unique feature of Tanjore paintings?

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 22:33:58 +0530

A standard question that arises when someone sees Tanjore Painting for the first time - what is its unique feature?

This question was posted on Quora (link here). This article is a reproduction of the answer given by our founder.

A fully completed Tanjore Painting of Lord Krishna

The other feature is the Real Gold Foil used to stick on the EMBOSSED areas - 22 carat gold foil is used. It is made of real gold and it never fades.

Nowadays, to reduce the overall cost and make more profit, some galleries have started using imitation gold foils (read fake gold foils). Sometimes the customers are aware of it and sometimes they are not- they get cheated.

Care has to be taken while evaluating the authenticity of the gold foil. One should look for shops/ artists providing ‘Certificate of Authenticity’ for the gold foils. We at Chola Impressions issue Authenticity Certificate for each painting we make.

We are the only ISO Certified Tanjore paintings manufacturer using Authentic 22 carat Gold Foil

Check the images of embossed paintings made by our Artists

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Ramar Darbar Tanjore Painting - Story of the Hindu God Ram

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:05:24 +0530

Ramar Pattabishekam also known as Ram Darbar Tanjore Paintings - the story and various models

In addition to making Authentic and beautiful Tanjore paintings, this is our attempt to highlight to importance of each Tanjore painting and the story behind it. This is the classic portrayal of Indian God Sri Ram's victory over the Demon King Raavan. In this article, we will discuss about the Ramar Pattabishegam painting, the characters in it and the story behind it.

Small Sized Paintings - Kodanda Ramar/ Ram Parivar

Ramar pattabishegam 18 inches x 15 inches or Bigger

In its simplest form, Ramar Pattabishekam has ony 6 characters.
This painting is sometimes called as Kodanda Ramar Painting also.
It has Lord Ram, Lakshman, Lord Hanuman, Sita Devi, Bharath, Shatrugnan.
This painting is made in Antique model/ antique finish. Antique finish has paintings done in style used in olden days. You can notice the difference in God's face and the colours used.

Ramar pattabishegam 18 inches x 15 inches or Bigger

This painting is similar as above painting but is made in calendar model
Anything that is not antique or traditional and modified to contemporary style is generally referred as calendar model
When your requirement of Ram Darbar painting is of smaller sizes than 2 ft, this model is preferred. The size of these two types start from 15 inches x 13 inches including frame.
There is no maximum size limit. The same model can be made in 4 ft or even 5 ft size with richer additions to the arch, umbrella, jewels and clothes

Medium Sized Ramar Pattabishekam Paintings

Ramar pattabishegam 2.3 ft x 1.8 ft or Bigger

This portrayal is the most traditional and common form in Tanjore Paintings.
Lord Ram sitting on the throne in a majestic form with Sita Devi sitting adjacent to him. Lakshman holds the royal umbrella.
Bharath, Shatrugnan stand respectfully and Lord Hanumansitting on the ground holding the feet of Lord Ram with a lot of devotion.
Saptarishis are seen blessing the divine couple on successful return to Ayodhya. Rishi Narad being an ardent devotee of Lord Narayan wouldn't miss the great occasion and he promptly attends the ceremony of Narayna's avatar.
Other prominent members seen are Jambhavan who is a close friend of Lord Hanuman, Vibhishanan Ministers and Other local kings and are also present for the coronation ceremony. Vanara Sena who were very instrumental in rescuing Sita Devi from Ravan are also given a special place in the ceremony. It was a great occasion as the God in the form of man (an ideal man) takes back his rightful place in the kingdom.

3 ft x 2 ft Ramar Pattabishekam in Landscape Orientation - Chola Impressions Masterpiece

This Painting is our masterpiece. The sketch was developed by us to show the coronation ceremony is the most magnificent way
It has all the characters in the painting we discussed and also includes more local Kings and Vanaras attending the ceremony.
It also shows the Mandap above and the Simhasana (throne) of Lord Ram in the most magnificent manner
Likewise Sita Devi, Laxman, Bharat, Shatrugnan are also portrayed fully
A must have painting if you are a devotee of Lord Ram or an Indian Art connoiseur

Above image is shown to understand the painting to the scale clicked at our production facility

This is how it looks when framed

Above painting is even bigger measuring around 4.5 ft 3.5 feet

Portrait Orientation - made for a customer in Hyderabad at a very short notice
We make bigger paintings as big as 11 ft on order basis

If you would like to order any of these paintings, you can click on the respective images or the below button to place the orders or alternatively you may Conact us for any custom Requirements. The paintings are made in the most traditional and authentic methods in Tanjore with the most experienced artists who have dedicated their lives to Tanjore Painitngs. Certificate of authenticity is issued for the 22 carat gold foil used in each painting you see in our website

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The Best of Goddess Lakshmi Authentic Tanjore Paintings

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 13:30:18 +0530

We have listed some of the best Lakshmi Devi Tanjore Paintings made by us in the past. Each one is unique. Read through the blog to know the difference

This Lakshmi Devi depicts the Dhana Lakshmi form as Golden coins are falling from the pot into the tray.
At the same time, there are two elephants on the top corner in embossed area. As a result, this painting of Lakshmi can be considered both Gajalakshmi or Dhanalakshmi subjective to the observer.
This is an exclusive collection of Chola Impressions

This is Gaja Lakshmi form as two elephants can be seen on the both sides. Coins can also be seen falling from the hands into the tray.
The uniqueness of this paintings is presence of both golden throne and Lotus. It is done as if the Lotus encompasses the golden throne - a few stones can be see above lotus.
Another thing to note is the presence of pillars that join the top ceiling like structure from where the screens and ornaments are hanging. It is a deviation from the usual portrayal where curvy arch is present and pillars are mostly absent.
All these characteristics make this Lakshmi Devi very unique

This Gajalakshmi is the most traditional form depicted in Tanjore style. Saree is either Scarlet Red (dark) or Green. For the former, prussian blue is used as the background and for the latter, crimson or scarlet Red is used as the background.
For this Gajalakshmi, we have depicted Saree in Red and used Prussian Blue as the background. The elephant is either light blue or flesh tint.
These are the total variations within this traditional Gaja Lakshmi. Depending on ones taste and liking, we help make the most traditional Gaja Lakshmi in Tanjore style

The portrayal is of Ashtalakshmi in the size 24x18 (painting size only) with Vishnu Lakshmi in the centre.
For the saree of Lakshmi Devi, we have used different colour shades to make the painting vibrant and colourful. Same goes for Lord Vishnu also.
If more gold foil work is preferred, then one can go for Ashtalakshmi with gold foil on the Saree instead of colours. It will be a riot of Gold colour. This Gold embossed model can be made against order

For the complete list of Lakshmi Devi Tanjore Paintings, please browse through the section by clicking the below link. For any customized model use Contact Us section for quote

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How to make the most authentic & divine Tanjore painting

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 00:29:58 +0530

There are various articles on the internet on making of Tanjore painting that use complex words making it very hard for a layman to understand it. To add on to the misery, the articles don't display the pictures of various stages of a Tanjore Painting. Hence this is our attempt to help user understand and appreciate the amount of work & artistry involved in the making of a Tanjore Painting.

The one in the picture is Durga Tanjore Painting in Bengal style. Size is 10 inch x 8 inch (board size). By Bengal style we mean the features of the subject. Bengal style subjects have bigger eyes and sharp eye brows as compared to the Traditional Tanjore style paintings that have calmer & smaller eyes and thicker eyebrows.

The following images & Videos elucidate the process of making of a Tanjore Painting using simple steps & images

The Emboss effect - using muck

The first stage of a Tanjore Painting involves creation of a board.
Check out the materials needed for tanjore paintings here: Prescribed materials for Tanjore paintings
Once the board is prepared, a sketch is made with all the highlights - outline, place for stones, crown jewels, ear rings, necklace, etc. Then, stones are kept in earmarked places
Following which, the emboss effect is created using muck - mix of Arabic gum and chalk powder
The muck is laid using a cone shaped dispenser made of polythene paper. It makes the design. This is kept for a day to dry which results in the picture shown on the left
If you are looking for a ready made Embossed muck boards on which you can do your paintings, you can buy here

Featured Video - Durga Devi Design work Demo

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Gold Foil on the earmarked areas

Once the muck dries up, gold foil is stuck on the earmarked areas i.e., on the embossed areas.
The gold foil that we use is Authentic 22 carat gold foil. There are some fake gold foils in the market that fade off - it loses the golden colour eventually
It is an art to keep the gold foil strategically on the embossed areas so that there is not much wastage. Nevertheless, some wastage is bound to happen
Liquefied Arabic Gum is applied on the back side of the shaped gold foil, kept on the embossed area and pressed hard so as to highlight the emboss effect
While pressing it should be ensured that there is no jerk as it creates wrinkle in the gold foil which is irreversible
You can start making Tanjore Painting youself using the authentic materials available with us : Buy Tanjore Painting Materials online

The Finishing Touch

This is the final part. It starts with cutting off the extra gold foil leaf protruding out of the earmarked areas
Gold leaf over the stones are cut removed with care
Once this is done, designs are drawn on the gold leaf using a thin brush to highlight the relief work
After this, background is painted followed by other areas
The final part is painting the face of the deity. Extreme care is taken while doing this. The eyes have to be calm; there should be a slight smile like expression on face. The artist should be experienced enough to strike the balance between two extremes as it holds sentimental value for the possessor

Framed & the Painting is ready to be adorned on your wall!

Framing is the final stage of the painting. It is done to protect the painting & the gold foil
A typical Tanjore Painting is framed using Teak wood, like the one shown in the picture
On the front side, traditionally glass is used. Some prefer Acrylic glass at the front nowadays as it is unbreakable
Now the Goddess painting is ready to be hung on your wall. Tanjore Paintings last for generations and will always remain as the most precious art item that you possess in your life time owing to the amount of skill involved and the materials used

Frames: Explore Authentic Teak wood Frames for Tanjore Paintings of various types and sizes

Materials and Painting used in the illustration

And if you would like to make this beautiful Durga painting your own, you can buy here - Devi Durga - Bengal Style Tanjore Painting
We believe by now you would have fully understood the process of making a Tanjore painting. Due diligence needs to be followed while purchasing materials for Tanjore Paintings - it is not just an art, it is an asset that you will be passing on to your future generations reflecting our rich culture. Hence longevity is of paramount importance for Tanjore Paintings. We suggest you use only the prescribed materials for Tanjore paintings
Sign up using the below button to get Exclusive tips, tricks and secrets of making a masterpiece Tanjore Painting. Get periodic updates and videos on our Free online Tanjore Painting learning videos and articles. Even better, you will also get discount coupons which you could use for purchasing the materials.

How to differentiate authentic Tanjore from Mysore style

Sat, 02 May 2015 21:14:00 +0530

Following are the key differences between Mysore and Tanjore paintings.

Though, it should be noted that the current day Tanjore painting methodology is slightly different from the ancient methodology as already discussed in the previous posts

Tanjore Traditional Art	Mysore Traditional Art
Base is cloth mounted on wood.	Base is paper, mounted on canvas or wood.

For gesso effects, raw lime powder with a tamarind seed paste used.	White lead (safeda), and Makhi Gaboge(yellow) taken from Revana Chinni Halujuice is used; this has a golden tint.
Gesso is applied in high relief	Gesso is applied in low relief
Gold coated silver wafers are used	Pure gold wafers are used
The coating is less durable	The gesso work is much more long lasting
Numerous other ingredients like pearls, glass, and amber is used for embellishing	Traditional works are devoid of such colorful decor.
Most depict scenes from Hindu mythologies.	Dresses and ornaments reflect period fashions, with close affinity to the Mysore kings. Architecture, designs closely resemble art found in the palaces of Wodeyars and in old-Mysore homes.

This day, That Age: Modern Times

Sat, 04 Apr 2015 19:12:00 +0530

How Tanjore Paintings evolved over time

Krishna Tanjore Painitng by Chola Impressions

Thanjavur paintings continue to be made even to the present day, though not with the rigour and virtuosity that marked the paintings of yore. 'Revival' programmes, Exhibitions, Workshops and Training camps on Thanjavur paintings are being held regularly by many institutions including State Governments.
The materials used have also changed according to the cost, ease of availability and the choice of individual artists. Plywood, for example has by and large replaced Jack and teak wood.
Synthetic colours and adhesives are preferred over the natural and mineral colours and other traditional components. In addition to the traditional subjects, a wide range of popular and modern subjects and themes are being depicted in Thanjavur paintings.
While it is a happy development that this traditional art continues to hold its sway, the brazen commercialisation and lack of aesthetics are disturbing trends. Be that as it may, Thanjavur paintings - the style and aesthetics continue to inspire many contemporary artists.
The Calendar prints of C. Kondiah Raju and his student followers, marked by an iconic solidness as against the western naturalism of Raja Ravi Varma, are examples of the continued influence of Tanjore paintings in modern, popular and academic art.

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The Artists

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 21:36:00 +0530

Tanjore paintings were painted by 'Moochys or Artists of India' according to the British chronicler Charles Gold in his book Oriental Drawings published in 1806. Traditionally, it is well known that the Raju community of Thanjavur and Tiruchi, also called as Jinigara or Chitragara and the Nayudu community of Madurai were the artists who executed paintings in the Thanjavur style. The artists (Rajus & Naidus) were originally Telugu speaking people from the artistically vibrant "Rayalseema" region of Andhra, who moved to Tamil Nadu in the wake of the fall of the Vijayanagar empire and the establishment of Nayak rule in Madurai and Thanjavur.

The artists turned out a wide repertoire of paintings on different subjects and of varied quality depending upon the patron's interest, urgency and most importantly influence and financial capacity. However, the art was by and large a sacred task to be performed with a reasonable degree of ritual purity and humility by the master craftsmen, many of whom chose to remain anonymous and never signed their paintings, true to the Indian artistic tradition. However a few works signed by the Thanjavur artists are also known. C. Kondiah Raju, the famous calendar artist from Kovilpatti, was one of the illustrious descendants to make a name as an artist during modern times from the Raju communi

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