At Kerala's heritage village, majestic bronze lamp depicts Ramayana scene

Kunhimangalam village in Kannur is famed for its Ramayana vilakkus, which are bronze lamps depicting scenes from the Hindu epic. The most prominent lamp is the one created by famed bronze artist Kunhimangalam Narayanan master, which depicts Lord Rama's coronation ceremony.

Kannur (Kerala): The village of Kunhimangalam in Kerala's Kannur district is synonymous with stunning metal craft, and quite easily, the most famed piece of art here is the Ramayana Vilakku.

The enigmatic glow of the intricately sculpted bronze Ramayana Vilakku (lamp with depictions of scenes from Ramayana) has transcended boundaries. The special bronze lamp was created by the famous bronze artisan Kunhimangalam Narayanan Master in 2008, for the first time.

Even today, people from India and even the world make their way to Kunhimangalam, just to catch a glimpse of the Ramayana Vilakku, which Narayanan had painstakingly sculpted 12 years ago, through 10 months of hard work.

Thirty-five forms or images related to the coronation ceremony of Lord Rama as presented in Ramayana have been intricately moulded in the Ramayana Vilakku by the senior bronze artisan. The two vyali (dragon-like mythological animal) faces and the elephants add to the charm of the lamp

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The lamp, moulded fully in bronze, weighs 30 kilograms.

Chitran Kunhimangalam, the son of Narayanan, said that he has set the measures for the new Ramayana Vilakkus modelling on the original one.

Kunhimangalam, a bronze crafts heritage village, is famed for its Lakshmi vilakku, Keda vilakku and Thookku vilakku - all different types of traditional lamps.

Chitran, who is proudly carrying the legacy of his father, is busy at his bronze workshop, creating gleaming bronze art pieces which he hopes to sell once the COVID situation eases.

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