BACKGROUND Cerebral palsy is a common developmental disability usually attributed to birth asphyxia. But recent studies show that it may not always be true, and the aetiology of cerebral palsy has become a matter of debate. The objectives of the present study are to determine the spectrum of MRI abnormalities in cerebral palsy and to increase our knowledge on cerebral palsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS A group of 97 children with the clinical diagnosis of cerebral palsy (52 boys and 45 girls), aged 3 months to 10 years (mean age 4.2 years) were studied prospectively. MRI was done using a 1.5 Tesla scanner. MRI was done between January and July 2017. MR images were reviewed by a radiologist for any abnormalities. RESULTS Periventricular leukomalacia was noted in 40% of patients. Malformations of cortical development was noted in 5.1% of patients. Corpus callosum abnormality was noted in 43.3% of patients. Diffuse cerebral and cerebellar atrophy was noted in 53.3% of patients. Arnold-Chiari and Dandy-Walker malformation was noted in 4.1% of patients. Thalamus and globus pallidus lesion was noted in 11.1% of patients. Perinatal asphyxia changes were noted in 89.7% of patients. CONCLUSION MRI is a useful tool in assessing the cause of insult as well as timing of insult in a cerebral palsy patient. MRI changes that are characteristic of cerebral palsy help to arrive at the diagnosis putting an end to a huge battery of tests.