The importance of the palace lies in its mural paintings which belong to an exclusive school of artists,whose technique and workmanship is considerably different from the other schools of Indian art. These murals are in the best tradition of the Hindu art, religious, decorative and stylized. They are painted in rich, warm colours and in the technique tempera.
Early references to Chitrasala occur in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, wherein three types of Chitrasalas are referred to, viz., the Palaces, the Public art galleries and Private houses. The paintings at Mattancherry Palace belong to the first category wherein some of the rooms were converted into Chitrasalas. Five rooms in this palace palliyarai or Bed chamber, Staircase room or Kovanitalam, Tripunitura Appan (another Bed chamber) room and two Ladies chambers in the lower storey – contain paintings.