Maarg Manthan · Topic 3.2

Tradition of Mural Paintings in India (Kerala Murals, Lepakshi)

Art & Culture › Painting · Topic 3.2

Mural paintings are large paintings made directly on the walls and ceilings of temples, palaces and caves. Major Indian mural traditions are the Chola murals of the Brihadeeswara temple at Thanjavur (11th century), the Vijayanagara murals of the Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh (16th century), the Nayaka murals of Madurai and Thanjavur, and the Kerala murals of Mattancherry Palace (Kochi), Padmanabhapuram Palace and Vadakkunnathan temple. Kerala murals use five colours, called panchavarna, in natural pigments on lime plaster, and Lepakshi is famous for its Shiva and Veerabhadra ceilings.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Painting

At a Glance

Medium Walls and ceilings of temples and palaces
Kerala palette Panchavarna: red, yellow, green, black, white
Chola site Brihadeeswara temple, Thanjavur
Vijayanagara site Veerabhadra temple, Lepakshi
Kerala sites Mattancherry, Padmanabhapuram, Vadakkunnathan
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Painting

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows cave painting and links the classical wall painting of Ajanta to medieval temple murals. It comes before the portable miniature painting tradition. Previous topic: Cave Paintings (Bhimbetka, Ajanta, Bagh, Ellora). Next topic: Tradition of Miniature Paintings in India.

Which Are the Main Mural Traditions and Sites?

Tradition	Site and state	Period and dynasty	Note
Chola murals	Brihadeeswara temple, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu	About 1010 CE, Rajaraja I	Shaiva scenes in the circumambulatory passage, such as Tripurantaka and Shiva with Sundarar; a Nayaka layer was painted over later
Pallava murals	Kailasanathar temple, Kanchipuram; Sittanavasal, Tamil Nadu	7th to 9th century	Early temple and Jain murals
Vijayanagara murals	Virupaksha temple, Hampi, Karnataka; Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh	14th to 16th century	Ceiling paintings of Shiva stories and Ramayana scenes
Nayaka murals	Madurai, Srirangam, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu	16th to 18th century	Ornamented figures and episodes of Shaiva and Vaishnava stories
Kerala murals	Mattancherry Palace, Padmanabhapuram, Ettumanoor, Vadakkunnathan, Kerala	16th to 19th century	Panchavarna palette, Ramayana and Puranic scenes
Shekhawati frescoes	Havelis of Shekhawati, Rajasthan	18th to 19th century	Merchant havelis with trains, gods and portraits

What Is Special About Lepakshi and Kerala Murals?

Lepakshi: the Veerabhadra temple in Sri Sathya Sai (Anantapur) district, Andhra Pradesh, built around 1530 under Achyuta Raya by the brothers Virupanna and Viranna
Lepakshi ceiling: a huge Veerabhadra figure on the natyamantapa ceiling, with Shiva, Parvati and Puranic scenes in earthy red and black
Lepakshi sculpture: the monolithic Nandi nearby and the hanging pillar, which does not fully touch the floor
Mattancherry Palace: built by the Portuguese around 1555 and given to the Raja of Kochi, then renovated by the Dutch in 1663, and thus called the Dutch Palace; murals illustrate the Ramayana
Padmanabhapuram Palace: in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, but built by the Travancore kings in Kerala style; has well-kept murals
Vadakkunnathan temple: Thrissur, Kerala, famous for its Shiva murals and for the Thrissur Pooram
Panchavarna: five basic colours used with natural pigments and a vegetable binder; faces are painted in styled forms related to Kathakali make-up
Kerala subjects: Ramayana, Mahabharata and Krishna scenes, and local legends

What Else Should You Remember?

Mural versus miniature: mural paintings are on a wall and large; a miniature is a small portable painting on paper or cloth, as in Tradition of Miniature Paintings in India
Fresco and secco: true fresco is painted on wet lime plaster; secco is painted on dry plaster; many Indian murals are secco work
Alternate spellings: Padmanabhapuram is also written Padmanabhapuram or Padmanabhapuram Palace, and panchavarna is written pancha varna
Chola murals discovery: rediscovered in 1931 by S. K. Govindaswami, who found the Chola layer below the Nayaka layer at Thanjavur
Chola architecture link: the temple itself is described in Chola Period Temples
Vijayanagara link: see Krishnadevaraya of the Tuluva dynasty…">Vijayanagara Period Temples and Nayaka Temples for the dynastic context
Kerala temples: see Temples of Kerala for temple forms that house the murals
Conservation: Kerala murals face damage from damp, soot of lamps and unscientific repainting
Training: the Mural Painting Institute at Guruvayur, run by the Devaswom, teaches the Kerala mural tradition
Tourism: Lepakshi and Hampi are heritage tourism nodes, and Hampi is a World Heritage Site since 1986
Contrast with caves: Ajanta murals are Buddhist and classical, while later temple murals tell Shaiva and Vaishnava stories
Cave link: earlier wall painting is covered in Cave Paintings (Bhimbetka, Ajanta, Bagh, Ellora)

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Site to state: Lepakshi in Andhra Pradesh, Mattancherry in Kerala
Dynasty match: Chola, Vijayanagara, Nayaka, Travancore
Panchavarna: five colours of Kerala murals
Technique: secco versus fresco
Common errors: placing Padmanabhapuram in Kerala by state boundary, or crediting Lepakshi to the Cholas

As an analytical point, temple murals show how religion and rulers shaped painting beyond the royal court. Their survival depends on careful conservation, and training institutes keep the tradition alive as a livelihood.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Sites Dynasty and state match
Kerala Panchavarna
Lepakshi Vijayanagara murals

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the miniature painting tradition across India. Next topic: Tradition of Miniature Paintings in India.

Key People and Terms

Mural Wall painting
Panchavarna Five colours
Secco Painting on dry plaster
Natyamantapa Dance hall of a temple
Circumambulatory passage Walkway around the sanctum
Dutch Palace Mattancherry Palace

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Lepakshi: Veerabhadra temple, Andhra Pradesh, Vijayanagara.
Kerala palette: panchavarna.
Mattancherry: the Dutch Palace, Kochi.
Chola murals: Thanjavur, found in 1931.
Padmanabhapuram Palace is in Tamil Nadu.

Do Not Confuse With

Mural and miniature Large wall painting versus small portable painting
Fresco and secco Wet plaster versus dry plaster
Lepakshi and Hampi Andhra Pradesh temple versus Karnataka capital

Memory Hook

Five colours in Kerala, Veerabhadra over Lepakshi, Chola layer below Nayaka.

Mains Angle

Questions ask about regional painting traditions. These points give a frame.

Continuity Cave to temple
Regional identity Kerala palette
Conservation Repainting damage

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Discuss the characteristics of Indian mural painting traditions with reference to Kerala and Lepakshi.”

How to Answer

Intro Define mural.
Traditions Chola, Vijayanagara, Nayaka.
Kerala Panchavarna and sites.
Close Conservation.

GS Relevance

Prelims: mural sites, dynasties, technique, Kerala murals. GS Paper 1: Indian heritage and culture, medieval and regional painting traditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are mural paintings?

Mural paintings are large paintings made directly on walls, ceilings and caves, usually of temples, palaces and monasteries. In India they range from the Ajanta caves to the Chola murals of Thanjavur, the Lepakshi murals of Andhra Pradesh and the Kerala murals of Mattancherry and Padmanabhapuram.

What are Kerala mural paintings?

Kerala murals are wall paintings of temples and palaces in Kerala, made from the 16th century onward. They use five basic colours, called panchavarna, from natural pigments, and depict stories from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas. Major sites are Mattancherry Palace, Vadakkunnathan temple and Ettumanoor.

Where are the Lepakshi murals located?

The Lepakshi murals are in the Veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi, in the Sri Sathya Sai (formerly Anantapur) district of Andhra Pradesh. They are Vijayanagara paintings of about the 16th century, famous for the large Veerabhadra figure and Shiva scenes on the natyamantapa ceiling.

Which palace is called the Dutch Palace?

Mattancherry Palace in Kochi, Kerala, is called the Dutch Palace. It was built by the Portuguese around 1555 and presented to the Raja of Kochi, and the Dutch later renovated it in 1663. It is known for its Ramayana murals in the Kerala style.

What is the difference between a mural and a miniature painting?

A mural is a large painting made directly on a wall or ceiling, usually in a temple, palace or cave, while a miniature is a small, finely detailed painting on a portable surface such as paper, cloth or palm leaf. Murals are fixed and public, and miniatures are private and often held in albums.

Why are mural paintings important for UPSC?

Prelims asks for sites, dynasties, panchavarna and the states of Lepakshi and Mattancherry, while Mains asks for conservation. Remember Brihadeeswara for Chola murals, Lepakshi for Vijayanagara murals, Mattancherry for Kerala murals, and that Padmanabhapuram Palace stands in Tamil Nadu.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 The Lepakshi murals belong to the Vijayanagara period.

True

In Andhra Pradesh.

2 Panchavarna refers to five colours used in Kerala murals.