Paintings in South India are famous for their intricate curves and bright colours. There are many schools for painting in South India like the Mysore, Tanjore, Nayaka, Chola and so on. Pallava period paintings are known to us from small fragments recorded in the little shrines to set into the area wall of the Kailashnath temple at Kanchipuram. Mural and album paintings from the last 2 or 3 centuries stay alive in some extent from the South Indian paintings; Hindu paintings from the more isolated past survived to much lesser degree.

History of South Indian Paintings
The art form dates back to the early 9th century which was an era dominated by the Chola rulers, who encouraged art and literature. Tanjore painting is an imperative form of classical South Indian painting was the subject to the town of Tanjore in Tamil Nadu. The Miniature Painting in India expressed realism with its complete subtleties. The diverse schools of Indian miniatures like the Pala, Odisha, Jain, Mughal, Rajasthani and Nepali did not cultivate after separation. The 11th century Pala miniatures were the earliest to appear. The Tanjore Paintings dates back to the early 9th century which was an era dominated by the Chola rulers, who promoted art and literature.

Features of South Indian Paintings
The ideas consist of the story of Radha-Krishna, scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata temple activities and others. A significant feature of chitrakars is they utilize vegetable and sandstone colours.

Types of South Indian Paintings
The tradition of South Indian painting has been carried on in the Indian subcontinent since the ancient times. With the time, South Indian paintings developed to turn into a kind of merge of the different traditions which were influencing them. There are different types of South Indian Paintings which are existing and some of them are as follows:

Thanjavur Painting: Thanjavur painting is a traditional South Indian painting style, which was inaugurated from the town of Thanjavur and spread across the adjoining and geographically nearby Tamil Nadu. The art form draws its instant resources and inspiration from way back about 1600 AD, an era when the Nayakas of Thanjavur under the suzerainty of the Vijayanagara Rayas encouraged art. However, it can safely be surmised that Thanjavur painting, as we know it now, originated in the Maratha court of Thanjavur.

Mysore Painting: Mysore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting that originated in the town of Mysore in Karnataka. These paintings are known for their elegance, muted colours and attention to detail. The themes for most of these paintings are Hindu Gods and Goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology. In modern times, these paintings have become a much sought-after souvenir during festive occasions in South India.

Karnataka Painting: The original paintings of Karnataka are of the pre-historic era about 2000 to1000 B.C. The depictions of animals, human figures etc. are painted under the projected rocks which formed the home place of the ancient people. The practice of paintings in Karnataka owes its beginnings to the western Chalukyans who embellished the walls of the caves in Badami with attractive wall paintings in 6th century A.D.

Hoysala Painting: Hoysala paintings of South India are available in the painted palm leaf manuscripts, which are now well preserved in the Moodhidri library. They are illustrated manuscripts and thus do not contain only paintings but also the writing of the Hoysala period. The mural tradition has been a very vital practice in South Indian painting and images are accurately cut into rocks of the caves.