Guru’s brilliant form can now be seen in Kakodi in the form of an oil painting

Thiruvananthapuram: Renowned painter Joseph Rocky Palakkal has captured the brilliant form of our beloved, great Guru whom he has never even seen in person. This painter, who is known for his paintings of various governors and for capturing the portraits of many prominent people on canvas, is busy preparing a portrait of Santhigiri Ashram founder Navajyothi Sree Karunakara Guru at his Kalasanketam in Peyadu, Thiruvananthapuram. An oil painting of the Guru is being prepared to be installed in the Viswajnanamandiram, which will be dedicated to the world at Kakkodi, Kozhikode on April 9. Devotees can now experience Guru’s effulgence on a large canvas measuring seven and a half feet tall and four and a half feet wide. This oil painting will be heartwarming for those who knew Guru and those who want to know him. The painting of Guru is as tall as Guru’s height in real life! This is an image of the Guru standing in a different way from the one installed in the Sahakarana Mandiram of Pothencode Santhigiri Ashram. The full-bodied form of Guru appearing on a Lotus opening up towards the heavens will give the devotees a three-dimensional visual experience. You can stand at any corner of the Viswajnanamandiram and if you look at Guru’s face, the gaze of Guru seems to be fixed on the beholder. The artist reveals that this feature is not his talent but rather God’s work. Black has not been used anywhere in the colour scheme. This is the first time that a colour has been left behind to create a picture. The painting has been worked on for the past month. Palakal uses the Winsor & Newton colours used in Ravi Varma’s paintings and British Seven series brushes to paint Guru’s image. He told Santhigiri News that, every day, the glorious image of Guru is becoming more and more clear in his mind and that he was lucky enough to paint this picture.

Palakal’s close acquaintance with the Ashram General Secretary Swami Gururethnam Jnana Thapaswi brought him to Santhigiri. He said that coming to the Ashram and seeing Gurusthaneeya Shishyapoojitha was a spiritual experience that he will never forget in his life and that it was Shishapoojitha who first showed the image of Guru in his mind. Painter, sculptor and writer Joseph Rocky Palakkal is a lineal descendant of the renaissance leader Saint Chavara Kuriakos and founder of the CMI church Father Thomas Palakkal Malpan and PC Varki who was the editor of one of the earliest newspapers Satyanath. His father was also his first teacher when it came to painting. Father Paul Chazhur, M.P. Devassi Master and Narayanan Master later became his guides. After completing his diploma from the School of Arts, Palakkal took the bold decision to become a full-time painter instead of becoming an art teacher in some school in Thrissur. That decision made him a distinct face in the field of oil paintings. He likes to use oil colour and water colour. The attention to detail he displays in his drawing is also seen in his painting and the colours used. He only uses branded colours. The time it takes to complete each painting is from the beginning of a brushstroke till the mind is saturated with satisfaction. Connoisseurs can witness the unmatched brilliance of an oil painter in his works, which have been completed over several months and years. Pictures of Palakkal have been placed in the reception rooms of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Raj Bhavan and the ministerial residences. Many dignitaries have already arrived from different parts of the world seeking Palakal. He has also received several awards.