Courtallam should be equally famous for its mural paintings as it is popular for the water falls. Courtallam is the place where the Chithirai Sabhai is based out of. I understood from a board on the temple where I shot this wonderful pictures is the fact that there were 5 sabhas. They are:
1. Thiruvalangadu - Rathina Sabhai (Gem)
2. Chidambaram - Kanaga Sabhai (Gold)
3. Madurai - Rajada Sabhai (Silver)
4. Tirunelveli - Tamira Sabhai (Copper)
5. Courtallam - Chithirai Sabhai (Painting)
But the saddest thing is I dont anything about these various sabhas. If somebody knows about this, please let me know.
The photos have come out very well considering the very poor light conditions inside the temple. What is really interesting is the fact that these paintings have withstood the test of time. It is estimated to be more than 600 years old. These paintings are drawn using herbal paint.
These mural paintaings have undergone lot of abuse from various visitors with many people writing their names on top of the paintings. In spite of that, it has survived the human onslaught. A must visit place in Courtallam. Ask for Chithrai Sabhai and any local person can guide you.
For the treasure in this temple, there is absolute no control on entry or exit. There are no care-taker for this temple. The temple is undergoing renovation and as responsible citizen, I contributed something for the renovation.
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