| Mural paintings of Kerala are the depiction of the | | | | religious texts with the pictures of various gods and |
| state's art and cultural traditions. It was in the 8th | | | | goddess, highly stylized. The use of flora and fauna |
| century AD that this form of art evolved in Kerala. The | | | | generally is limited to the backdrop. The oldest form of |
| mural paintings are wall paintings which have a clear | | | | murals in Kerala incorporates the use of natural |
| reflection of the pre-historic rock paintings found in the | | | | pigments and vegetable colours. It involves a ritual art |
| Anjanad valley of Idukki district. The roots of this form | | | | of sprinkling and filling up different colour powders |
| of art painting goes back to the Dravidian art of | | | | inside outlines sketched with the powder. Kerala hold |
| kalamezhuthu. This art which was earlier practiced to | | | | the second position as far as collection of this |
| signify the religious sentiments of people, is not | | | | important archeology is concerned. |
| confined to Hinduism only. In Kerala, one can also find | | | | The main temples in India, where these kind of art |
| churches enveloped in its spectrum. The rock cut | | | | paintings can be witnessed are temples at |
| caves in Kerala are eloquent of these paintings. | | | | Trikodithanam, Ettumanur, Vaikom, Udayanapuram, |
| Though only traces are left now, but it is explicit that | | | | Triprangode, Guruvayoor, the Vadakkunathan temple in |
| the walls of these caves were once richly adorned | | | | Trichur and the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple at |
| with these wall paintings. A close study of these | | | | Thiruvananthapuram. Other mural sites are in the |
| paintings have proven valuable in understanding the | | | | churches at Edappalli, Vechur, Cheppad and |
| diverse culture and aesthetic influence on the state. | | | | Mulanthuruthi, and at palaces such as the |
| Ancient temples, churches in South India, display an | | | | Krishnapuram Palace near Kayamkulam and the |
| abounding traditions of these mural paintings that are | | | | Padmanabhapuram Palace. |
| better known as frescoes. The main feature of this | | | | Today, Kerala mural painting is under going a revival |
| kind of painting is the lime medium and technique in | | | | period wherein a new genre of artists are involved in |
| which the prepared walls are painted only after it gets | | | | researching as well as disseminating this ancient art at |
| completely dry. The subject is usually derived from the | | | | the various schools as well as colleges in South India. |