Through the centuries, Kerala’s isolation from the rest of India has been more political than cultural. This land did not come under sway of any of the imperial dynasties like the Mayuras and the Guptas, or Panthas and Mughals. But it has been exposed to all kinds of influences from the rest of the country.
All cults of Hinduism –Siva, Vaishnava and Sakta- have been practiced here. Both Buddishim and Jainsim have flourished in this land. While retaining its Dravidian base, Kerala has been more `Aryanised’ than, say the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. Malayalam, whether derived from Tamil or from a proto- Dravidain language, has been completely bastardized by Sanskrit. It is also remarkable that this southernmost state of India –far from the centers where play wrights like Kalidasa and Bhavadhuti flourished- is the only region in India where the tradition of Sanskrit drama survives: it is enacted under the name of Kootyattam. But look at its temples. They bear no resemblance to the predomination styles o India, being more reminiscent of the architecture of Nepal and China.