Painting the Demon in Karnataka, India

Manjunath Hegde Bomnalli in the Deccan Herald reports that artists in  Old Hubballi (northwest Karnataka, India) have painted a giant image of the virus that causes Covid 19  on the ground, to spread awareness of the virus.

A large circular image, about twenty feet wide, has been painted in oil on the ground at Indi Pump Circle by artists in the India Art Firm. The figure, it appears from a photograph, has an orange head, outlined yellow eyes,  sharp teeth dripping blood, and a blue claw like arm extending from its yellow body. Slogans promoting public health measures  (Wear a mask, Stay indoors) have been inscribed as well.

The Deccan Herald  earlier reported that substantial crowds in the city have resisted social distancing methods, and that there have been confrontations with law enforcement over public health restrictions. Perhaps this motivated  the artists in the firm to create this striking image in a prominent public space.

Although the explicit purpose of the image is didactic, it does seem consistent with a long history of vernacular painted images in the region that provide protection from dangerous forces.  Ground paintings are common throughout South India, at times centered on geometric designs that are said to repel demons from entering a household, or bring blessings by depicting sacred and mythological beings. At times, ground and floor designs are drawn in ephemeral rice flour, but in this instance oil painting has been deployed, evidently with the expectation that a long term campaign is called for.

My impression is that tradition-based ground paintings may at times depict a god or hero slaying a demon but that it would be unusual to paint a demon on its own.  But perhaps in this instance the written inscriptions effectively encase the demonic coronavirus, and in that sense peformatively show it being "slain" by righteous action.

I'd be grateful for any insights from the artists themselves or specialists on floor design and ground painting in the region.