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Rock Paintings of Tamilnadu: With Special Reference to Kozhiuthu of Palani Taluk – A Study
Authors: P.Valarmathi

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Abstract
Tamil Nadu has a rich heritage and cheered history. Its ancestry dates back to the Palaeolithic age. The rock arts of Palani, displays great virtues of balance, appropriate use of colour, love of nature and a keen understanding of the life and times of the inhabitants. Scenes of battlefield, travel, hunting, festivities and others are depicted with realism and sensitivity. All the images etched on rock surfaces clearly demonstrate their urge to express themselves in forms that are intelligible. There are paintings of elephants, cattle, tiger, deer, wild boar and porcupine, and of human beings dancing or fighting. The prehistoric artists used white kaolin, lime or even ash to paint these figures. The contemporary tribal people have used enamel paint to embellish some of these paintings. They also have made beautiful paintings of elephants, peacocks and so on. The rock shelter found in Kozhiuthu (AlaKallu), the Paintings are lies southwest of Western Ghats of Palani region of Dindigul District in Tamil Nadu. The rock paintings of Kozhiuthu is belong to the Mesolithic and later periods. The Mesolithic paintings clearly depict a society of hunters and gatherers. Mainly they portray man and his relationship with animals. The subject matter of this period is quite varied, although game animals are most frequently represented. Bulls, bison, elephants, wild boars, deer, buffaloes appear. The subject matter in rock art can be very varied. The main subject everywhere is the animal or scenes of hunting them, which is the most common subject of rock paintings belonging to the Mesolithic and later periods. The subject matter of rock paintings also helps in studying many facets of human life.