Age-old practice:Pictorial representations of traditional stories such as this one are a treat for devotees during Panguni festival.File Photo: R. Ravindran
It is a choultry, a marriage hall and a place where anadanam is served regularly, but during the ten-day Panguni festival, Vyasarpadi Vinayaga Mudaliar Charities on South Mada Street in Mylapore turns into an art gallery displaying a huge collection of antique paintings and hand-crafted dolls which are priceless, rare, and of historic value. Exhibited only during the course of the temple festival, the items are later locked up.
The practice was started by one Vysarpadi Vinayaka Mudaliar, an ardent believer in Hinduism, from the 19{+t}{+h}century.
He chose this time for the exhibition to draw the huge crowd that came to visit the Kapaleeshwar temple for the festival.
And long after his death, the practice still continues. Paintings by famous artists such as Ravi Varma, N.S. Ramasamy Naidu and Narottam Narain Nathdwara are part of the exhibition.