Art and Culture of Kerala

About Art and Culture of Kerala

Kerala has a rich history of art and culture. It is famous for its art, poets and musicians, traditional dance forms, exquisite crafts and distinctive architecture. For ages, the rich and vibrant culture of Kerala has intrigued people worldwide. The real treasures of Kerala lie in the cultural heritage of its people through the different art forms which are the reflections of the rhythmic impulses of a sensitive people.

Mural paintings

The Mural paintings of Kerala have the stamp of uniqueness in aesthetic composition and technique. Mural paintings came into vogue in Kerala as early as the 8^th century AD. The most antique work of Murals of Kerala can be seen in the Thirunandikkara Cave Temple in Thiruvananthapuram district, now a part of Kanya Kumari district of the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. The Murals created at temples and palaces of Kerala depict sagas of Hindu gods and goddesses and visual poems of their heroic deeds.

Theatre Art

In its earliest forms, theatre in Kerala encompassed performing arts like Kootiyattam, which called for an erudite audience, along with folk art performances like the 'Kakkarissi Natakam'. Inspired by the Christian religious plays of Europe, the Christians of Kerala evolved their own theatre called the Chavittunatakom. Pure Malayalam theatre is captured in all its essence in Kerala Varma Valia Koithampuran's 'Abhignana Sakunthalam' (1898 AD), a translation of Kalidasa's 'Sakunthalam'.