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Indianvisit offers complete information on the dance form of Kerala - Kathakali, the Kathakali dances and Kathakali performances. |
Kathakali in Kerala
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India is a country of multifaceted cultures with a touch of variety in every single art or craft form that each corner of the nation specializes in. Kerala, the vibrant state on the tropical Malabar Coast on the southwestern belt of India offers a plethora of several elegant forms of music, dances and art and thus lives up to the typical Indian tradition. Among the various art forms, dances are apparently Kerala�s pride. Among the dance genres again, Kathakali is one of the exclusive dances of Kerala that has become popular all over the world over the years.
Introduction:
Kathakali actually derives its name from the Malayalam words �katha� (meaning story) and �kali� (meaning play). Discussing about Kathakali, it can be termed a unique combination of music, painting, literature, acting and dance. Having originated during the late 16th century, circa 1555 to 1605 AD, it owes its roots to Ramanattom (Raman: atom (enactment) and Krishnanattom (Krishnan: atom (enactment). Later, Kottayam Thampuran (ruler of Kottayam, once a province in Kerala) compiled several plays on Mahabharata which eventually led to the evolution of Kathakali. Kathakali bears a lot of resemblance to Krishnanattom, Koodiyattom (Sanskrit drama existing in Kerala) and Ashtapadiattom (an edition of 12th century musical called Gita Govindam). During its evolution, Kathakali also absorbed elements from martial arts and folklore that existed at the time in Kerala.
Traditionally there are 101 classical Kathakali stories and most of the characters and stories are derived from legends and stories from the ancient Hindu epics like the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagvata Purana. The audience is generally well acquainted with the stories as the tales mostly have been narrated to them during their childhood by their elders.
The lyrics of the songs used for Kathakali is Manipravalam. Even though the songs are based on �ragas� of Carnatic music, there is a typical style of rendition, which is known as the �sopanam� style.
Customarily, a Kathakali performance begins at night and ends in early morning but today as short as three hour performances are also seen. A distinct feature of this art form is that the performers, traditionally men, never use dialogue to render their art form; but use hand gestures, expressions and rhythmic dancing.
Kathakali Dancers in Kerala:
Preparation for a performance of a Kathakali dance is an elaborate process. Governed by complex symbolism of line and design, the make-up involves a lot of paint on the faces of the dancers in a manner suiting the role he plays. For the colors they use hand-ground colors mixed in coconut oil. Different colors represent different moods. Green stands for divine heroes, noble characters, and kings. Red represents vigor and valor and black symbolizes savage characters called katti. It takes long to acquire and specialize in the art of make-up and students spend years practicing it on the rounded bottoms of terracotta pots.
Kathakali Performances in Kerala:
Backed by many years of sincere and rigorous training process and committed application, Kathakali dancers group themselves into well-knit teams and perform in places such as Varkala. Widely acclaimed as an excellent dance form, Kathakali is appreciated all over the world.
Log on to www.touristplacesinindia.com which gives online information on the dance form of Kathakali in Kerala on your tour to India.
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