NCERT Class 11 Fine Arts Chapter 5 Later Mural Traditions PDF gives students the official NCERT chapter from An Introduction to Indian Art Part I for the 2026-27 syllabus. The chapter follows Indian wall painting after Ajanta, from Badami and Sittanvasal to Chola, Vijayanagara, Nayaka and Kerala murals.
- Download the complete 7-page official NCERT chapter PDF for Class 11 Fine Arts.
- Revise Badami, Pallava, Pandya, Chola, Vijayanagara, Nayaka and Kerala mural traditions.
- Use the timeline, site map and tables to prepare short board and CUET notes.
Student Feedback: In a Collegedunia check of more than 10,000 Class 11 Fine Arts students, most students found this chapter easier after arranging murals by dynasty and region instead of memorising one long list.
Later Mural Traditions NCERT Book PDF: What This Chapter Covers
The chapter opens with the point that only a few painting sites survived after Ajanta. It also reminds students that many sculptures were once plastered and painted. Later Mural Traditions is mainly a chapter on continuity: cave excavation, sculpture and painting moved together across regions.
The PDF is useful because it gives the full NCERT sequence in one place. Students should connect each mural centre with its dynasty, century, theme and style. Badami, Sittanvasal, Brihadeswara, Hampi, Lepakshi and Kerala temples are the safest names to revise first.
Later Mural Traditions Explained for Class 11 Fine Arts
Source: PW OnlyIAS Prarambh on YouTube
Later Mural Traditions Timeline from Badami to Kerala Murals
The NCERT chapter moves from the sixth century to the eighteenth century. A timeline helps students see how the mural tradition travelled through South India, changed under different dynasties, and kept older Ajanta features alive in new temple and palace settings.
| Period or dynasty | Main mural centre | Revision cue |
|---|---|---|
| 578-579 CE, Early Chalukya | Badami Vishnu Cave | Palace scenes, fluid lines, compact composition and Ajanta-like modelling. |
| Seventh century, Pallava | Panamalai and Kanchipuram | Graceful female divinity, Somaskanda traces, round faces and rhythmic lines. |
| Ninth century, Pandya | Sittanvasal | Dancing celestial nymphs, vermilion outlines, yellow bodies and subtle modelling. |
| Eleventh century, Chola | Brihadeswara temple | Shiva themes, Tripurantaka, Nataraja, Rajaraja portrait and dancing figures. |
| Fourteenth-sixteenth centuries | Hampi and Lepakshi | Profile faces, large frontal eyes, narrow waists and rectilinear panels. |
| Sixteenth-eighteenth centuries | Kerala temples and palaces | Vibrant colours, three-dimensional figures and local mythology. |
Site-wise Revision Map for Later Mural Traditions
Fine Arts answers become clearer when students write place names accurately. The chapter is not only about one style. It shows how mural painting changed in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala while still keeping older religious and narrative themes.
- Badami: link the Vishnu Cave with the Chalukya ruler Mangalesha.
- Pallava-Pandya: remember Panamalai, Kanchipuram, Tirumalaipuram and Sittanvasal together.
- Chola: connect Brihadeswara murals with Shiva themes and Rajaraja Chola.
- Vijayanagara-Nayaka: revise Hampi, Lepakshi, Tiruvarur, Chidambaram and Chengam panels.
- Kerala: study temple and palace murals with local Ramayana and Mahabharata stories.
Badami Pallava Pandya and Chola Murals: Key Features
Badami is the first major stop in the chapter. The surviving fragment on the vaulted roof shows palace life and proves that Ajanta-style line, modelling and compact composition continued in South India. The Badami painting is linked with the Early Chalukya period and the Vishnu Cave.
| Tradition | What to remember |
|---|---|
| Badami | Queen and attendants, palace scene, half-closed eyes, protruding lips and simple line treatment. |
| Pallava | Mahendravarman I built temples at Panamalai, Mandagapattu and Kanchipuram. |
| Pandya | Sittanvasal paintings show dancers, firm contours, vermilion red outlines and yellow body modelling. |
| Chola | Brihadeswara paintings show Shiva in Kailash, Tripurantaka, Nataraja and Rajaraja with his mentor. |
Vijayanagara Nayaka and Kerala Murals for Class 11 Fine Arts
The Vijayanagara section begins after the decline of Chola power. Hampi becomes the capital, and temple ceilings carry dynastic history, Ramayana scenes, Mahabharata scenes and Vishnu incarnations. The figures are often in profile, but the eyes are large and frontal.
Nayaka paintings continue many Vijayanagara conventions. Kerala murals then develop a more distinct local language. Kerala paintings use vibrant colours, luminous surfaces and themes from local oral versions of Hindu stories. NCERT names Dutch Palace, Krishnapuram Palace and Padmanabhapuram Palace among the important sites.
How to Use the Later Mural Traditions PDF for Exam Preparation
Start with the three NCERT exercise questions, then build the answer points from the PDF. Each answer should include dates, patrons, sites and visual features. Do not write only dynasty names. Fine Arts answers score better when students mention style words such as profile, line, modelling, movement and colour.
- Make one timeline from Badami to Kerala murals.
- Prepare a site chart with state, dynasty, century and artwork cue.
- Practise one essay answer on Vijayanagara paintings.
- Compare Kerala murals with Nayaka and Vijayanagara conventions.
Fine Arts Chapter 5 Resources
| Resource | Use it for | Link |
|---|---|---|
| NCERT Book PDF | Official source chapter for 2026-27 | Open book PDF page |
| NCERT Notes | Quick topic-wise revision | Open notes page |
| Handwritten Notes | Fast recall before tests | Open handwritten notes page |
NCERT Book PDF for Class 11 Fine Arts: All Chapters
| Chapter | NCERT Book PDF |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1 Prehistoric Rock Paintings | Open Chapter 1 PDF |
| Chapter 2 Arts of the Indus Valley | Open Chapter 2 PDF |
| Chapter 3 Arts of the Mauryan Period | Open Chapter 3 PDF |
| Chapter 4 Post-Mauryan Trends in Indian Art and Architecture | Open Chapter 4 PDF |
| Chapter 5 Later Mural Traditions | Open Chapter 5 PDF |
| Chapter 6 Temple Architecture and Sculpture | Open Chapter 6 PDF |
| Chapter 7 Indian Bronze Sculpture | Open Chapter 7 PDF |
| Chapter 8 Some Aspects of Indo-Islamic Architecture | Open Chapter 8 PDF |
NCERT Class 11 Fine Arts Later Mural Traditions PDF FAQs
Ques. Is the Later Mural Traditions PDF the official NCERT chapter?
Ans. Yes. The PDF used here is the official NCERT Class 11 Fine Arts Chapter 5 chapter from An Introduction to Indian Art Part I for the 2026-27 syllabus.
Ques. How many pages are in Class 11 Fine Arts Chapter 5 Later Mural Traditions?
Ans. The chapter PDF has 7 pages. It covers Badami, Pallava, Pandya, Chola, Vijayanagara, Nayaka and Kerala mural traditions.
Ques. Which mural sites should I remember from Later Mural Traditions?
Ans. Students should remember Badami, Panamalai, Kanchipuram, Sittanvasal, Brihadeswara, Hampi, Lepakshi, Tiruvarur, Chidambaram and Kerala palace or temple sites.
Ques. What are the NCERT exercise questions in Later Mural Traditions?
Ans. NCERT asks students to describe Badami cave paintings, write an essay on Vijayanagara paintings, and explain the mural traditions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
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