Preserving Tali’s heritage with murals

Paintings depicting Zamorins’ history adorn walls of pond

The pond near the Tali temple in Kozhikode has much historical significance, but these days it is known for the number of drowning deaths in it. The heritage of the temple and the pond need to be remembered and what better way than a pictorial depiction of it for all to see and admire. Renovation work on the eastern bank of the Tali pond is an attempt to preserve the heritage and history of the Zamorin clan for future generations. A major part of the ₹2-crore project is a set of eight relief murals that adorn the walls of the pond depicting the important events related to the Zamorins. The murals are made of cement on eight separate walls by artists Nibin Raj and Shijish Atholi. The first wall depicts the coronation ceremony of the Zamorins known as ‘Ariyittu Vazhcha’ while the second shows the visit of a Zamorin to Tali temple after coronation. The third wall shows the historic ‘Mamangam’, an event that took place every twelve years at Thirunavaya, a martial art competition between the Nair warriors of Malabar with the Zamorin’s troops. ‘Revathi Pattathanam’, a traditional battle of knowledge held at the temple is depicted on the fourth wall while the fifth one is based on a myth connecting poet Poonthanam and Zamorin’s prime minister Mangattachan.