History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c20.s3.t3.17

v1.c20.s3.t3.17

It is said that fresh buffalo hide should be boiled with water. When sticky butter-like paste is formed, it should be made into small pieces and dried till the pieces become hard. This is called *vajralepa* or adamantine which is very useful for painting in two ways - to prepare the coating for the surface to make it smooth and flawless for painting pictures and to prepare the vehicle or media to mix the pigment for painting. Pigments of different colours have to get suspended sometimes with additives so that they could be used as paints. Hence it is said that the above mentioned pieces of *Vajralepa* should be placed in strong mud vessel filled with water and then heated. When they get melted they may be added to any colouring pigment proportionately to get a particular desired shade. Adding soft white sand and conch powder to this *vajralepa*, the wall or the surface should be smeared with this paste and allowed to dry three times till it becomes smooth and glossy. Then the moon-white mineral called *nāga* found in Nilagiri, embedded in rock should be mixed with this *vajralepa*. This mixture should be applied on the surface of the wall slowly and gently. The wall then becomes ready for painting beautiful pictures (*Siv. R.* VI.2.10-18).