The present book gives a vivid description of the rich mural tradition of Lepakshi, one of the South India’s most beautifully preserved pictorial ensembles, which has been gloriously flourishing for nearly five centuries. This richly illustrated study, featuring 84 colour plates and 39 black-and-white photographs and drawings, combines technical analysis, stylistic interpretation, and cultural history bringing the temple’s paintings to life.

Organized into eight concise chapters, the book traces the temple’s history; explains mural materials and techniques; analyses pictorial elements such as line, colour, composition, & movement; compares murals with contemporary sculpture; and documents costume, ornaments, weapons, and domestic objects depicted in the art. The concluding chapter presents the author’s findings and practical recommendations for conservation of paintings and public engagement in this pursuit.

This book is accessible to students, researchers, conservators, and art lovers, this volume lends a panoramic visual record and serves as a scholarly guide to Lepakshi’s marvelous artistic history.

About the Author

Dr. K. Mrutyunjaya Rao (b. 1972) is a founding faculty member and currently Associate Professor in the Department of Fine Arts at Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, since 2009. He has been working in both the private and public sectors in the both fields of art and design for the past 26 years. In 2020, Telugu University, Hyderabad, awarded him the B.S.L. Hanumantha Rao Memorial Gold Medal for his rewarding research contribution on the Lepakshi mural paintings. In 2001, he received the S.L. Parasher Gold Medal from the University of Hyderabad for achieving the highest distinction in the Master of Fine Arts (Painting).

In 2007, his artwork “Mask” received accolade from Telugu University, Hyderabad. He has extensive and varied experience as an artist and academician.  He served as Chairman of the Board of Studies, as well as a member, convener, and paper setter for national- and state-level recruitment examinations in fine arts. In 2014, the Government of Andhra Pradesh appointed him as an expert committee member for the proposed Cultural University in the state. He has organized 17 regional and national workshops and curated multiple art exhibitions. 

He has seventy research papers in national and international journals and five books to his credit.