KATHAKALI

One of the highly stylized forms and very high in dramatics is Kathakali from Kerala.
‘KATHAKALI’ – which means ‘STORY PLAY’, is derived from the words katha or story

and kali or play. Kathakali has its roots in the traditional dance-drama forms of
Kerala – Chakkiar koothu, Koodiyattam, Krishnattam and Ramanattam.

The ruler of Kottayam, Tampuran, later added other themes to the repertoire such
as themes from the Mahabharata, Shiva Purana and Bhagavata Purana. Expanding
repertoire thus enabled the change in name to a more comprehensive one -
Kathakali.

KERALA KALAMANDALAM is one the premier institutions in the country, imparting
training in KATHAKALI

abhinaya includes very elaborate facial expressions.

The basic position adopted by dancers is the samamandalam, the half- sitting
position. The feet are placed apart with outer soles touching the ground, with the
toes curled.

Music and accompaniments:
Kathakali music follows the traditional Sopana sangeetham of Kerala. The other
Musical instruments include Chenda, Maddalam, Idakka, Chengila, Ilathalam and
Shankhu.
Makeup and Costume:
Aharya - costume and make-up, play a vital role in kathakali. They are symbolic of
the characters. The characters are grouped as heroes, anti-heroes, women, sages,
demonic etc. under certain clearly defined types like the pacha (green) – used for
divine beings like kings and heroes; katthi (knife-like) – with more of red color, used
for wicked characters. The Chutti (made from paste of ground rice) runs along the
chin. In ‘Tadi’ - chuvana tadi (red-beard) - represents demonic and malignant
characters like Dusshasana; vella tadi (white beard) - pure souls like Hanuman;
karuttha tadi (black beard) for aboriginal or forest-dwelllers. Female characters wear
their hair in a knot, veiled with ornamented scarves and tight fitting red jackets
coupled with a white sari. The make-up they wear is called minukku (shining). The
dancers wear full skirts that are multi-layered reaching just below the knees while
the top is a full-sleeved, high-necked jacket with jewelry covering the entire front up
to the waist.
Texts:
Balarama Bharatam, Hasthalakshna Deepika.