കേരള ചുവർ ചിത്രം (Kerala Chuvar Chitram)
Kerala mural painting is a classical tradition of large-scale narrative painting on the interior walls of Kerala temples and palaces, executed in the fresco-secco technique on lime-plastered surfaces using natural mineral pigments. The tradition is distinguished by its use of only five colors (pancha-varna): yellow (orpiment), red (red oxide), green (copper green), black (lamp black), and white (lime white) — no mixing of these five is permitted in the orthodox tradition. The subject matter is drawn from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Bhagavata Purana, rendered in a specifically Kerala visual language: rounded forms, large eyes with white sclera and green iris, elaborate jewelry, and narrative density within the horizontal band format. The most celebrated surviving examples are in the Mattancherry Palace (Cochin), Padmanabhapuram Palace, and Ettumanur Mahadeva Temple. The living tradition of new mural creation is critically endangered — temple renovation work continues but authentic pancha-varna natural pigment practice is maintained by a small number of masters.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Not inscribed; listed under Kerala government heritage programs
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