Kathakali
Murals
Kerala holds the second place, with a large collection of archeologically important mural sites in India. Evolved as a compliment to her unique architectural style, these wall paintings are characterized by their liner accuracy, the adherence to colour symbolism elaborate ornamentations and sensitive portrayal of emotions. The tradition of painting on walls began in Kerala with the pre-historic rock paintings found in the Anjanad valley of Idukki district. Archaeologists presume that these paintings belong to different periods from upper Paleolithic period to early historic period. Rock engravings dating to the Mesolithic period have also been discovered in two regions of Kerala, at Edakkal in Wayanad and at Perimkadavila in Thiruvanathapuram district. The oldest murals in Kerala were discovered in the rock cut cave temple of Thiruvandikkara, which is now in the Kanyakumari district of Thamilnadu.
The subjects derived from religious texts were highly stylized pictures of gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon, not a fanciful representation but drawn from the description in the invocatory verses or 'dyana slokas'. Flora and fauna and other aspects of nature were pictured as backdrops, in highly stylized manners.
The murals of Kanthaloor Temple in Thiruvanathapuram (13th Century), Pisharikavu and Kaliliampath in Kozhikode distict (14th Century) are the oldest temple frescoes of Kerala. Representing this prolific period of mural arts (14th and 16th centuries A.D), are the Ramayana murals of Mattanchery palace, the paintings in the Chemmanthitta Siva Temple, Kudamaloor and Thodeekkalam in Kannur district. The wall paintings at Panayannarkavu, Thichakrapuram, Kottakkal, Padmanabhapuram and Krishnapuram palaces and those in the inner chambers of Mattanchery palace, represent a much later period in the evolution of medieval mural tradition.
Sculpturs
The sculptures in ancient Kerala were designed only as a decorative element of an architectural scheme and were therefore determined by the canons and exigencies of the architectural settings of buildings. Within these limitations there was a conscious artistic striving for creative expression in plastic arts, which reflect the religious zeal of the people and their taste for decoration and embellishment.
The early sculptors were artists; not merely carvers and they always created something new and original in stone. In Kerala, the earliest specimen of sculptures in stone are the three figures found in the cave temple at Kaviyoor, which belongs to the eighth century A.D. the rock-cut relief's of Vizhinjam, belong to the same period, bearing a closer resemblance to later pallava work. The ancient Vishnu temple at Thrikkodithanam in Changanassery has two 'vyali' panels with sculptures belonging to the 11th century, depicting two distinct types of ancient dances. Kudaikuthu( umbrelladance) and kudamkuthu( potdance) are visible. Two panels depicting dancing figures presumed to belong to the 12th century A.D and two figures of dwara palakas carved in black granite are found in the ancient temples at Thiruvananthapuram. The exquisite image of Vishnu at Guruvayoor temple and at The Sree padmanabha swami temple reveals the best traditions of stone sculpture in the state.
