S Subbaraman

S. Subbaraman is a former superintending archaeological chemist of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) who spent his career conserving some of India’s most important monuments and paintings. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2023, from Karnataka ^[1].

Ajanta, Lepakshi and Rome

Subbaraman was born on 24 December 1929 and took a first-class honours degree in chemistry from Madras University in 1951 ^[2]. After a short period with the Madras state government, he joined the ASI’s chemistry branch in 1954 and was posted to Ajanta in 1955 to work on its famous murals ^[2]. In 1958 he moved to Lepakshi, where he solved difficult problems in conserving the Vijayanagara-era temple murals ^[2]. An Italian government scholarship took him to Rome in 1960 for advanced training in restoring works of art, and on his return he worked on the Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebid ^[2].

Two paintings, one wall

In 1966 he was sent to the Indian Museum in Calcutta, where he set up its conservation laboratory ^[2]. Back at the ASI from 1975, he headed the southern region of its chemistry branch from Hyderabad, responsible for monuments in the four southern states, Maharashtra and Gujarat, including Ajanta and Ellora ^[2].

At the Brihadeeswara temple in Thanjavur, his team separated two layers of mural painting, 17th-century Nayaka work painted over 11th-century Chola murals, and preserved both ^[2]. It was the first time such a feat had been achieved anywhere, and Australian television filmed the process in 1986 ^[2].

Work abroad

He led the ASI team that completed work on the giant Buddha statues at Bamiyan in Afghanistan, handed over in 1977, and was part of its team at Angkor Wat in 1982 ^[2]. In 1983 he led the conservation of the churches of Old Goa and their contents ^[2]. He retired at the end of 1987 ^[2].