Kilvalai Rock Paintings

The rattaparai - kilvalai rock painting site is located very close to the city of Villupuram in Tamil Nadu.

The locals call this place rattapparai - which means twin rocks in Tamil, this could also mean blood rock which might be the name given due to the colour of the paintings. The exact location is in the taluk of Kandachipuram where agriculture is the major occupation of people till date. This might explain the crops surrounding the site and the need to walk in a very narrow path up till you climb on the exact rocks that have the paintings. The ASI has put up a fence around but its right on the rocks so I think this still is a private property. It's quite visible from the main road so once you park the vehicle and cross the short narrow path you will be climbing on the rocks.

The paintings are on top of the rocks so you will have to climb all the way up.

The way up is not steep so you can safely walk up.However you might need some good shoes with anti -slip properties if you are visiting in winter. Once you start climbing the rock you will have Surampazham shrubs on both the sides. These small berries are very tasty and are seen only in such wilderness and hence locals advise you to keep eating them while you are climbing up.

Before you venture up make sure you have some plain water with you.This will help in visualising the painting better when you sprinkle it on the painting since in some areas it is almost impossible to see especially if the rock is dry as the painting is fading.If you did not bring enough water you can take some water from the nearby well, but you might need expert help in lifting the water up in summer time as the water level is quite low and the well is a little deep. Compared to a modern day well this is built in stone and has stone stairs so they are slippery due to the moss buildup and there is never a person near you to help you in case you slip in.

There are a few very large cacti too. Even though the blooms are very attractive it's safe not to venture very close to them as these are places where snakes rest. As the rocks are hot during the sunny hours snakes usually find shelter within these shrubs where they can feed and rest safe from the sun, the men who cultivate there and the cattle which are freely roaming around in this region. I strongly suggest that you wear body hugging tear-proof clothing as in some locations you might come in close contact with thorny shrubs. The local archeological society and its student members are very active and do a periodic clean up of these sites. You are very lucky if you visit after one such clean up.

Try and go shoeless if the path is clean as the rock is very smooth and the experience of walking shoeless is inexplicably comfortable. I am someone who could feel sand in my feet even inside the Operating Theatre dressing room in the brief moment of shoe changing. Hence I am very particular about my shoes and the comfort of my heel. So you can trust me when I tell you that this is one place where your feet will feel happy if you ditch your shoes and go shoe-free. Please make sure the rock is not hot when you do so.

If you keep climbing looking around enjoying the agricultural land around and the view of crops swaying in the smooth breeze and eating a palm full of Surampazham you would have reached the top.

Once you are on the top the wind is stronger, the air is lighter and the rock is beautifully painted with deep red paint. You will have to crawl/ lie down to comfortably view the paintings. There are bees nestling in the crooks of the rock and the painting spans over two separate huge rock pieces. So before you sprinkle the water make sure that you are not disturbing any of those hives.Once you start sprinkling water as though magically these wonderfully structured red drawings appear before you. Once you sprinkle enough water to cool the rock, the rock stays wet for a while so if you lay your head back and see you could appreciate the excellent work of art.

Art is special in that it can be seen by two people in two entirely different ways. I shall hence not venture into explaining the painting since I think that is meaningless. I shall however tell you that these do not seem to be abstract.They seem meaningful. The main human figures are perfectly shaped and given masks on purpose. The supporting figures are all painstakingly placed at specific locations and some of the signs resemble similar signs from the Indus Valley Sites. One image that needs special mentioning is the large one where human figures wearing masks seem to be on a small boat and hold an ore. These people from Villupuram must have had active river transportation in their Thenpennai river or this must have been an image of sea faring near Mahabalipuram which was an active port during the Pallava reign.

I am attaching a few images of the paintings so that you can enjoy the amazing art too.💟