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It was artist C. Kondaiah Raju (1898-1976), who, in his portraits, infused life into several Hindu gods and goddesses and made them part of several temples and households. He was one of the few famous painters such as Raja Ravi Varma.
Born to Kuppusamy Raju-Alamelu Mangammal in Chennai in 1898, Kondaiah Raju lost his father when he was a child. Brought up under the care of his relative Rangaiah Raju, a painter, in Mylapore, Kondaiah Raju studied painting in the Government Fine Arts College, Chennai, and was a topper in the exams.
An expert in curtain and oil paintings, Kondaiah Raju turned spiritually inclined and became a disciple of Ramana Maharishi at Tiruvannamalai, adopting celibacy and asceticism.
He once drew a big picture of Ramana Maharishi who was, however, not satisfied with it, pointing out some defects in the art work. Kondaiah Raju re-worked on it and refined the painting. The incident proved a turning point in his art career. He finally walked out of the ashram and gave up the life of asceticism.
He once drew a big picture of Ramana Maharishi, who was, however, not satisfied with it, pointing out some defects in the art work. Kondaiah Raju re-worked it and refined the painting. The incident proved a turning point in his art career. He finally walked out of the ashram and asceticism
Subsequently, he joined TT Sankaradas Swamigal’s Madurai Original Meenalojini Bala Sarguna Sabha as a curtain painter. The drama group staged plays in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.
Kondaiah Raju’s curtain paintings were also part of the shows; in fact, they lent a unique feel to the stage performance of the plays. His paintings thus became popular. Besides, he also worked in the departments of make-up and costumes and contributed much to the trick scenes in the dramas.
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It was a time when printed calendars were being introduced in India. Calendars containing life-sized models of images were popular then. Raja Ravi Varma had carved a niche in the art of painting Hindu mythological scenes and figures, having set up his own colour printing press in Mumbai. His paintings sold like hot cakes then.
At that time, Kondaiah Raju too became famous for drawing pictures for calendars. Sivakasi was the hub of calendars displaying his paintings, printed on litho presses which had machinery imported from Europe.
(Photo credit: Artefacts – Facebook page)
Calendars with images of gods and goddesses rooted in mythological stories gained popularity and figured prominently in the pooja rooms of several households. The images were drawn by Kondaiah Raju and his disciples including T.S. Subbiah, T.S. Meenakshi Sundaram and M. Ramalingam with whom he lived in Kovilpatti as a family.
On November 5, 1958, a function was held to felicitate him on his 60th birthday. Renowned thespian Sivaji Ganesan, speaking at a felicitation function held in Kovilpatti in 1965, said, “When I was an atheist, it was Kondaiah Raju’s paintings that instilled in me the values of theism.”
In 2005, the National Centre for Arts in Delhi and the Italian Embassy Cultural Institute jointly declared officially that it was Kerala-based Ravi Varma and Kovilpatti Kondaiah Raju, who introduced lithographic paintings for the first time in India. The paintings and biographies of the two artists were displayed in Delhi at a great painting exhibition titled ‘Lithography’
Kondaiah Raju was always dressed simply in a four-cubit dhoti and shirt. Fond of dogs, he reared many breeds.
By way of passing on his art to posterity, he imparted the art and craft of painting to his disciples in the age-old ‘gurukula’ system. He passed away at Kovilpatti on July 27, 1976.
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In 2005, the National Centre for Arts in Delhi and the Italian Embassy Cultural Institute jointly declared officially that it was Kerala-based Ravi Varma and Kovilpatti Kondaiah Raju, who introduced the lithographic paintings for the first time in India. The paintings and biographies of the two artists were displayed in Delhi at a great painting exhibition titled ‘Lithography’.
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