Farmer And Artist Turn Kerala Paddy Field Into Sacred Canvas

Pathanamthitta: In Kerala's Pathanamthitta district, a sacred vision unfolds not on canvas, but in the green paddy fields.

Here, the image of Lord Vishnu has been brought to life using rice crops, carefully planted and grown over months by Uthaman, a local farmer, and Akhil, a visual artist.

"Krishna Kaumod and Kalyani Violet types of seeds have been used to make the artwork. Climate and rain are important factors since the seeds are from outside Kerala, and rain plays a major role. Even then, without using any chemical fertilisers, cultivation has been done using only organic manure, and it is progressing well," said Uthaman.

The duo's work has caught the attention of educational institutions, cultural groups, and temple communities across the state, who regularly invite them to craft this special kind of art.

Akhil said, "Like this, we had made figures of both Jesus Christ and Ayyappan before. From schools and various other places, we are invited to make such pictures of both of them," adding that Ayyappan's was most popular among them.

Uthaman and Akhil plan to offer the rice cultivated to over 100 temples during the agricultural festival of Niraputhari in August. (With PTI inputs).