Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c76.193

v2.c76.193

1. **The Mural background** It is the preparation of the plaster for the walls serving as background for the mural paintings. The first thing in this process is the levelling of the wall and then milk, the kṣīra, procured from any of the plants like Snuhīvāstuka, Kūṣmāṇḍa, Kuddālī, Apāmārga or Īkṣuka and it should be kept lying for a week and with the mixture of the liquids of any of the trees, like Śimśapa, Āsana, Nimba, Triphalā, Vyādhighāṭa, Kuṭaja, etc., a compound should be used in sprinkling the wall already levelled up. After this, another process consists of plastering the wall with a clay compound of soft mud mixed with the liquids of Kakubha, Māsa Śālmalī and Śrīphala together with a portion of sand. This plastering should be done in the thickness of an elephant’s skin. The third process in this technique consists of giving another coating of the Kaḍi-śarkarā—powder of the limestone chips—which makes it fit for paints to come out on the surface and light and shade also well delineated.