Photo documentation of the Ooramana Perumthrikkovil Murals
By Prasanth Raveendran & Nidheesh Narayanan
March 28, 2026
As part of PHOTOMUSE’s ongoing mission to document, interpret, and preserve India’s cultural heritage through photography, the first phase of mural documentation at Ooramana Perumthrikkovil (Narasimhamurthy Temple), Muvattupuzha, has been successfully completed. This work was carried out with care and dedication by our mentors Prasanth Raveendran and Nidheesh Narayanan under the Cultural Documentation Initiative.
Situated along the serene banks of the Muvattupuzha River in Ernakulam district, the Ooramana Perumthrikkovil—dating back to the 12th–13th century CE—stands as an exceptional testament to Kerala’s spiritual, architectural, and artistic legacy. Its vatta sreekovil (round sanctum) houses a rare and continuous band of mural paintings, many over three centuries old, depicting episodes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, and regional devotional traditions.
The murals, rendered in the traditional Kerala palette, include scenes such as Rama–Ravana Yuddham, Kirata–Arjuna, Gajendra Moksham, Nataraja, Narasimha Avataram, Rasa Leela, and Ganapathi. Their compositions are thoughtfully adapted to the circular geometry of the sanctum, allowing the narratives to unfold gracefully as one circumambulates the shrine.
The high‑resolution image files and the complete documentation report will be archived within Photomuse and will soon be made available on our website for public viewing and non‑commercial use.
We respectfully acknowledge the invaluable support and guidance of the Kerala State Department of Archaeology, whose cooperation made this work possible. We also extend our sincere appreciation to our mentors, Prasanth Raveendran and Nidheesh Narayanan, for their dedicated contributions to this significant heritage project
