Kerala is very well renowned for its knowledge in ivory and wood carvings. Most of the traditional homes in Kerala had wooden carvings inside the home as a part of luxury. Skilled people with expertise in wood carvings were employed for getting the work done. Most of these wooden carvings are done on the ceilings; pillars etc and these depict the stories of ancient Hindu god and goddesses. The “poomukham” which is the sit out is exclusively hand carved which id known as the “charupadi”.

The Mural paintings of Kerala are so rich in color. The vibrant color combinations are so unique and exclusive that they can never be re-invented. This had been a part of most of the interior home decorations of a traditional Kerala home. The colors used in such paintings are natural colors made out of herbal plants, leaves & flowers. The subjects for Murals were derived from religious texts. Highly stylized pictures of Hindu god and goddess were drawn. These were the pictorial representation of the verses or “dhyana slokas” from Hindu “grandhas” meaning holy book.

The Kerala architecture is a blend of simplicity and elegance. This traditional architecture is tailored to suit the cultural and climatic conditions of the region. They used the system of “ARA & NIRA”. The interiors are entirely wooden paneled. This keeps the inside cool during summer and warmer during winter season. Kerala observes the harvesting period as a festive season. The entire harvest is stored inside the “pathayapura” a traditional wooden harvest storage building. This is known as the “Arayum Nirayum” in Kerala architectural construction.

Article originally published at Source by Janice T Williams