About the Mural
Divinely inspired Indian muralist, instructor, and designer Mithun Babu is teaming up with American artist, instructor, and author Charles Ekabhumi Ellik. Together, they will design iconic images of eleven awe-inspiring deities in the ancient Kerala mural style. Both artists are goddess devotees with decades of experience in sacred art and mural painting. Mithun is from Kerala, and Eka is from California, making this an international collaboration. This project is spiritual discipline (sadhana) for them; thousands of rounds of mantra will be recited while they work. Each design is being carefully developed with the aid of temple priests for accuracy and authenticity.
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.
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.