Retelling the Ramayana, on a banana leaf

Kerala artist celebrates the epic’s big stories with acrylic painting on a natural canvas

Palakkad-based artist Rajendran Vadakkepadath, well known for his leaf paintings, celebrated the Malayalam month of Karkidakam — the Ramayana month — with some unique art. He painted the Ramayana on a dried banana leaf. Mr. Rajendran used black and brown acrylic on a six-feet long treated banana leaf to surprising effect. From Valmiki writing the epic and King Janaka’s yaga to Rama’s crowning, almost all major episodes are painted in reverse on the ochre banana leaf.