Mural Paintings of Kerala date back to the seventh and eighth century AD. It is very clear that the early Mural Paintings in Kerala were heavily influenced by the Pallava style of art. The earliest Mural Paintings of Kerala were found in the rock-cut cave temple of Thirunandikkara, which is presently in the Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu. The murals of these places are reckoned as the earliest specimens of Kerala painting. At the same time it can be said that the Kerala Murals were also heavily influenced by the Dravidian style and the form of art involved sprinkling of coloured powders into the outlined sketches of various art forms.

Tradition says that Kerala Murals or paintings on walls were preceded by pre-historic rock paintings which were found in the Anjanad Valley of the Idduki District. Archaeologists have found out that such paintings in Kerala date back to the Palaeolithic as well as the Mesolithic Periods. Most of the Mural Paintings that are found till date in Kerala date back to the fifteenth century and presently only sketchy outlines of those paintings exist and not the heavily decorated forms. Kerala has a rich tradition in the field of painting as is evidenced by the murals in temples, palaces and churches.

Mural Paintings are very common in the churches of Kerala and sometimes some of the temples in Kerala closely resemble the Murals of the churches. Mostly the themes of Kerala Murals are religious texts. The paintings show highly stylized forms of Hindu gods and goddesses along with several Dhyana slokas written beside them. A lot of flora and fauna are also represented in the Mural Paintings of Kerala. It is said that murals of Kanthaloor temple in Thiruvananthapuram district and those at Pardhivapuram and Trivikramapuram in Thiruvananthapuram are the oldest existing temple frescoes of Kerala.

Mural Painting in Kerala is so evolved that it holds second place in the country the first being Rajasthan. A fact that emerges clear from the Mural Paintings of Kerala is that the type of paintings had evolved as a part of its architectural style. The palaces at Padmanabhapuram, Kayamkulam and Mattancheri are well known for its Mural Paintings. The temples of Kerala famous for its Murals are Panayannarkavu, Pundareekapuram, Pandavam, Thrissur, Chemmanthitta, Kaliampally and Thodeekkalm. The murals in the Sri Padmanabha temple, Trivandrum, depicting Puranic themes are noted for their remarkable finish and grace. They belong to the period from the middle of the 17th to the 18th century when the pictorial art enjoyed full state patronage. The Vishnu temple at Thrikkodithanam, the Shiva temples at Ettumanoor and Vaikom, the Subramonia temple, Udayanapuram, the Vadakkunathan temple, Trichur, the Krishna temple, Triprangode are among the many temples of Kerala which contain exquisite mural paintings.

Church Murals have also added to the Mural glory. For instance the churches at Cheppad, Akapparambu and Ankamali have a very old tradition and present a magnificent work of art. The Murals in the churches of Kerala also reflect stories from the Christian Mythology. The paintings of Virgin Mary in the churches at Edappalli and Vechur are of deep religious significance to the devotees. Further, the outer walls of the Kanjur church have a huge mural which depicts the scene of a battle fought between the armies of Tipu Sultan on the one side and those of the British East India Company, aided by the barefooted local militia, on the other.

In temples, palaces as well churches Mural Paintings are found in the inner walls, in the stairway and sometimes in the outer walls of the structure. Panayannarkavu Temple in Kerala is well known because it is one of the few temples in the state which depict murals all along the Sapta Matas or the Seven Mother Goddess which is the presiding deity of the temple. A close view of the Murals in this particular temple represents a Vaishnavite Tradition. The Murals in this temple is known for its accuracy. The Murals in Mattancheri in Kochi has a specific feature of trade and commerce even till date. Another important subject matter of Kerala Murals was stories from epics like Ramayana.

Finally it can be concluded saying that although Mural Paintings of Kerala are a combination of several styles yet it has a distinctive individual style.