AIRAVAS
(Airavat + Uchchaihshravas)
Artform: Tholu | Artist: Shri Anjannappa | Curated by: MeMeraki
"श्रीधरार्चितपादपद्मयुगः संस्थितो भूत्वा समुद्रमथने रतिप्रदो वसन्।
एरावणः प्रियसखो मदीय भामिनी कृत्वा च भूरिपालवंशविमर्दनं ते॥"
"శ్రీధరార్చితపాదపద్మయుగః సంస్థితో భూత్వా సముద్రమథనే రతిప్రదో వసన్।
ఏరావణః ప్రియసఖో మదీయ భామినీ కృత్వా చ భూరిపాలవంశవిమర్దనం తే॥"
Adorned with lotus feet revered by Vishnu, Airavat-born of the cosmic ocean-rises with celestial purpose. Beside him, Uchchaihshravas gallops with divine radiance, the crowned king of steeds. Together, they echo a mythology of majesty, motion, and meaning.
The Figures:
Airavat the majestic white elephant, is the revered mount of Lord Indra. A symbol of strength, wisdom, and divine grace, he embodies celestial power and auspiciousness. Adorned with regal ornaments, he stands as a guardian of heaven’s order.
Uchchaihshravas the seven-headed horse, is famed as the swiftest and noblest of steeds. Born from the Samudra Manthan (churning of the ocean), he represents glory, prosperity, and the fulfillment of noble desires.
About the Artwork
This installation, titled AIRAVAS, brings together these two mythological beings in a vivid tribute crafted in the Tholu style—an ancient leather puppet and painting tradition of Telangana. The artwork is housed within a series of eighteen Tholu lamps that illuminate the terminal at RGIA.
Rendered by master artisan Anjannappa, the figures of Airavat and Uchchaihshravas are infused with intricate hand-drawn patterns, natural dyes, and spiritual iconography. Painted on leather, they glow with life, offering passengers a glimpse into India's mythic past and Telangana’s artistic soul.
Each lamp acts as a storyteller, radiating the craftsmanship and devotion of Telangana’s artisan communities. The detailed flora, flowing rivers, and mythical figures symbolize harmony between the celestial and the earthly—between legend and landscape.
A Portal to Telangana’s Soul
As passengers pause amid the modern bustle of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, they are invited into a moment of stillness—a connection to the deeper currents of Telangana’s heritage, where divinity meets design, and stories endure.
AIRAVAS stands not only as an art installation, but as a beacon of cultural memory, inviting passengers to reflect, reconnect, and carry forward the enduring legacy of a land rich in mythology, artistry, and spirit.