Raja Ravi Verma at Malavli!

Raja Ravi Verma at Malavli!

Bina Thomas ( binatho@gmail.com )
Dear Diary,

Mom and I were driving towards Pune after visiting the amazing rock cut prayer halls at Karle and Bhaja. Suddenly Mom asked me if we could stop by at Malavli, a village by the expressway. I was a little tired after our morning trek and was longing to reach home and rest. But when I heard Mom say “Raja Ravi Verma’s press” I was interested.

Earlier on Mom had told me about Raja Ravi Verma, a 19th century prince and painter from Kerala. He belonged to the royal family of Travancore (South Kerala). He began painting at a young age and his works are world renowned. I have seen them on the internet. Ravi Verma’s real life portrayal of human figures, especially in scenes from Indian mythology and ancient literature are very beautiful. Various palaces hosted him as a special guest and he created enchanting portraits of its royal residents. He is even credited to have `dressed’ our Hindu goddesses and gods in sarees and dhotis!! “And what did the Prince have to do in this remote village in Pune? Isn’t that what you are wondering about?” Mom’s question shook me out of my reverie, and I agreed.

She explained that printing technology was advancing at that time. German printing machines for oleographs or prints of paintings were gaining popularity. A press was started in Bombay for the same purpose. Prints of Raja Ravi Verma's paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses were made available to public and it gained acceptability among the ordinary people. This was the beginning of `calendar art’ in India. Today, can one imagine an Indian household without pictures or calendars of gods and goddesses? But the press had to be shut down due to various reasons. Raja Ravi Verma shifted out the press from Bombay and in 1896 set it up in Malavli; a quite and peaceful village not too far from Bombay and close to Peshwai Pune. Later the press was sold to one of his German technicians, and sometime later was shut down. Descendents of the German owner now own the property.

With permission from the guards, we entered the 100 acres of private property. We strolled around the press building, and surveyed its dilapidated condition. The guard informed us that apart from a couple of printing machines and perhaps a few oleographs strewn around the few rooms that housed the press there was nothing in the locked building.

Our visit was like homage to the great painter. As we continued our journey home, Mom and I discussed the possibility of converting the building and premises of the Raja Ravi Verma Press into a museum or an institute for Fine Arts. Is someone listening?