Peacock in Indian Art and Architecture, a Common Theme
Peacock got the status of national bird of India in 1963. Since time immemorial peacocks are involved in Hindu mythologies, religious traditions and legends. Peacocks symbolize several good human attributes like: vision, grace, royalty, pride, spirituality, awakening, beauty, protection, and watchfulness. They breed and flourish well in different parts of India and is easily identifiable by common man.
Peacock as Art Theme
Peacocks for its majestic and graceful looks have always been object of fancy. Artists and sculptors have always depicted them in their works and various trades. Our own peacock throne is the biggest and costliest example of Indian artists’ love for peacocks as art theme. It is counted as the costliest single treasure crafted in the last thousand years!
Vase with peacock art – displayed in Albert Museum Jaipur
Peacock in Indian Architecture
Besides this fact I am going to bring out in this post the use of motifs of peacocks in Indian architecture. That the birds are beautifully portrayed in paintings is common. In Rajasthan I saw bold and beautiful motifs, murals and mosaics of peacocks on palace walls and entrances. Incredible portrayal of the details of its feathers in all works!
The sights can freeze you. Like other tourists, I found myself requesting awestruck tourists who stood rooted there gazing at the peacock murals to move from the frame of my camera!
Peacock door frame in Jaipur Palace is amazingly beautiful with striking rich colors.
Peacock door frame in Jaipur Palace
At the Mor Chowk(peacock square) in City Palace of Udaipur, vivid blue mosaic of peacocks decorates its walls. We were WOW over the detailed work in the feathers – individually cut slivers of glass! A total of 5,000 pieces of mosaic of green, blue, crystal and gold, as well as concave mirrors are said to have gone into the making of these peacocks.
Peacock in Indian Art
In addition to the depiction of peacocks in Indian architecture you can find them depicted as designs in sarees, cushion covers, curtains, doors – there is no end to that. You will find them in jewellery too.
How many peacocks in this frame?
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Good pictures of a lovely place!
WoAH… The pictures simply take one’s breath away. In beauty– only next to nature itself.
Amazing blog…
(My mother loved the pictures too)
Simply stunning 🙂
they really do look very beautiful!
WOW!! Such detail…the mosaic work is beautful.
My parents live next to a neighbor who has a peacock. A few years ago, while leaving their home to go to town (they owned a geo at one point,we were in that car), this amazing peacock stepped out in front of us. It went into attack mode and its feathers flared out..they were larger than the car!! It was absolutely breathtaking. Truly gorgeous.
I know EXACTLY how you felt. I was there too, jaw-dopping et al. I remember wondering how so much artistic talent and creativity got concentrated into this corner of India.
Awwwwwwwwwwww Beautiful blog !!
I saw only now that you had two blogs:)))))))))))
What a beautiful photos my compliments.
This blog I very much like to follow.
Great as it is, beautiful in your country!!!!!!!!
HI Indrani, what a beautiful picture, I lve mozaik, this is so nice maid, and so colourfull. Thanks for charing ;))
I’m sorry, i have forgotten to also write in einlish on my blog, normnaly I do this, but now I forgotten it. But I will do this in the future. And yes, the boxes are made by me, they are cardboardboxes, I love to make them. Thank You for yoyr visit, Have a nice day, best wishes, Jeany
What beautiful works of art! My goodness the time and patience it took to make eash amazing work. When I first opened your post, the first picture looked so real I had to do a double take. I thought, “Wow how did they get those birds to stand like that?”
Silly me.
Thank you for dropping by on my blog this morning to say hello. I always love visits.
Blessings to you.
Indrani… I’m so impressed.. These are such pretty pictures.. and a lovely blog!!
Peacocks have always fascinated me. How very beautiful to see these beauties depicted in their art.. and yours.
Oh, Wow! That is incredible.
sigh… wish the palace owners reserved 30% of their motifs, murals and mosaics for depicting peahens.
great pics & description !
Having done a bit of mosaicing myself, I am also in AWE of these masterpieces. I would have been stading right there with you, mouth open catching bugs! Thanks for sharing.
Love this! I saw your comment at Bee Drunken’s and came to check out your blog. You would LOVE the McMenamin’s pubs’ art here in Portland, OR – it’s in every nook and cranny of their places. The Kennedy School, the Edgefield, the Grand Lodge – they all have wonderful painted murals and mosaics. So fun!
I’ll be back to read more of your posts later. Good stuff here. 🙂
Unbelievable! Is it any wonder that the peacock is our national bird, when it is so much woven in the texture of our heritage, art and legend.
What a wonderful work !! amazing ! have never seen such artwork !
Ohh what a beauty, super photography 🙂
Those feathers are made of glass??
Wow!
Exceptional work here. You’ve done your world proud!
The photos and colours are amazing. I love peacocks ( and peacock artwork/designs) This is just delightful…
Thanks for sharing.
Wow – extraordinary! The detail is simply incredible. Thanks so much for showing us this part of your world!
wow! They look almost real. Very beautiful pictures.
You continue to bring us little pieces of Rajasthan through your blog. Great work!
wow – these are fantastic. What amazing craftsmanship!
We had a peacock for a long time, they are just so beautiful and the representations in art in your part of the world is stunning.
Indrani – when I first saw your pictures, I thought those peacocks were alive, not man-made art! Completely amazing!!! India has so much going and your blog does it justice!
Warm greetings from the other side of the world,
Esther
http://esthergarvi.com/2009/03/03/zinder-from-a-distance/#comment-19099
absolutely ‘wow’!!!!
You’ve given us beautiful pictures of these wonderful murals. Thanks for sharing them with us.
peacocks are so beautiful..find them quite exquisite..no wonder indian art and architecture is full of them
This is exquisite!!
So glad the national bird is portrayed so beautifully! I miss the campus at Coimbatore where peafowl are aplenty and regularly visit preferred lawns and trees and locales. Is that on marble or plaster?
Wow! Great art AND pictures!
So very, very beautiful. The detail is astounding, the symmetry, wonderful.
Very ornate. I never saw peacocks in any Indian architecture so far except here. Very nice.
Those are absolutely breathtaking!! Like the others, my mouth just dropped, could scarcely believe what I was seeing. How marvelous! Thank you for sharing! Look forward to next week!
Wow fantastic. The peacock designs are so beautiful.
I would like to invite you to take part in my new post called Tell a joke Tuesday. you can either tell a joke or a funny story that has happend to you or a friend ths week. it has mr linky so the world can view your joke or story. I hope you will take part
Stunning architecture, these are awesome shots.
Have a great week!
Guy
Regina In Pictures
Beautiful pics as ever. I remember one of the first paintings I did as a little girl at school was of a peacock. I was very proud of it!! I took many hours painstakinly trying to get the tail feathers right.
Blessings
🙂
Just stunning! My jaw dropped to, and I wasn’t even there in person!! Your photos do it as much justice as possible, I’m sure. Wow!
WOW this is beautiful
How breath-takingly beautiful! Colourful and delicate in all ways. The people who made this must have been very great craftsmen. Thank you for showing this and writing about it!
I’ve had a look around your blog. As person who has never been to your country, though I adore travel, the colors, architecture, daily life are a visual feast.
Oh my gosh. The color and artistry is breathtaking.
nice one
One candid confession- i’ve never seen anything of this sort even in pics. Thanks for sharing.
I add my big WOW! to yours.
Magnificent!!
The pictures are awesome.
Indrani, beautiful photographs and a lovely blog! Will be back.