Folksongs: Kerala folklore is unique in its richness and variety. Folklore in its widest sense embraces traditions, folk tales, folk songs, folk arts, folk beliefs, taboos and superstions, belief in omens and magic.

The people of Kerala belonging to all castes and communities have their rich collection of folk songs, which have drawn their themes from religion and mythology, agricultural operations like sowing, harvesting, and incidents of social life like weddings and the beauties of Kerala landscape. Vanchipattu, Mappilapattul, Pallipattu, and Onapattu Vadakampattu and Pulluvan pattu are some of them.

Folk Arts: Kerala culture has been enriched with its own characteristic folk arts from very early days. Teyyam Tullal of the erstwhile Malabar area, Bhadrakalipattu that denotes the killing of Darika by Kaali, pamputullal, and nagakanni connected with the naga cult, are famous among them. The mudiyattom kali is a kind of folk dance in which the female participants loosen their hair and engage themselves in frantic dancing to the accompaniment of folk songs. There are also a variety of folk arts known by different names as Kumbham Nritham, Arjuna Nritham, Kummatti, Patayani, etc in different part of Kerala

Music: The credit for having given to Kerala an important place in the field of Karnatic music goes to Swathi Thirunal (1829-47), the ruler of Travncore. Some great names like Shadkala Govinda Marar, Irayimman Thampi,Parameswara Bhagavatar and the Tanjavoor Brothers have contributed to the growth of music at that time. In addition to classical music, Kerala can also be proud of its contribution to the development of folk music and light music. The Vadakkum pattukal (Northern ballads), which celebrate the exploits of Thacholi Othenan, are among the best known of its kind in Kerala.

Drama: Kerala has its own tradition of drama, which is intimately bound up with the origin, and growth of the art form, Koodiyattam. A very decisive phase in the evolution of modern Kerala drama began with the composition of a series of short plays with historical themes by C.V.Raman Pillai.Drama also played a vital role in popularising leftist ideologies.The Kerala people’s Art Club paved the way for bringing social issues onto the stage and contributed to the development of drama to a great extent.  

Film: Malayalam cinema is always at the top of the list among other Indian cinemas. By portraying the real life on the celluloid Malayalam cinema won many awards and international fame. Chemmeen, Swaymvaram, and Nirmalyam are some of them. The State government has extended its patronage to the film Industry by instituting state awards with effect from 1970. It has also set up a Film Development Corporation and a studio in the Public Sector at Thiruvananthapuram.

Architecture: The Tantrasamuchaya, Vasthuvidya, Manushyalaya chandrika and Silparatna are the celebrated treatises of Architecture that Kerala has contributed to the world. The Nalukettu of Kerala are famous the adoption of priciples of Tachu Sastra (Science of Architecture). The Padmanabhapuram palace, the Dutch Palace at Mattancherry and Krishnapuram Palace near Kayamkulam are some of the famous palaces of Kerala. Typical architecture of Kerala can also be seen in many old Feudal manors like Varikkasseri mana (near Ottapalam), Olappamana(at Vellinezhi in Palakkad) Mannarkkadu Nair House(Palakkad) Keralasseri Nair house(Palakkad).

Painting:The art of painting in Kerala has a tradition, which goes back to the immediate Post-Ajantan Period. The murals of Tirunandikkara  (Kanya Kumari dist) are the specimens of this art in Kerala and they are believed to be of Pandiyan origin. Churches of Kerala also contain some valuable pieces of paintings. The performance of religious rites necessitated the development of a special kind of pictorial art in Kerala known as Kalamezuthu. Raja Ravi Verma is one of the outstanding names in the art of painting in Kerala.  The paintings of Raja Ravi Verma adorn the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, Trivandrum and some other notable art galleries of India like Baroda palace, Mysore Palce etc.