India Kathakali : India  

India Kathakali - Travel guide

India

Kathakali

Kerala presents to the country one of the most imposing and colourful spectacles of dance Kathakali. It is heroic, majestic and epic in character.

Though this form of art is not more than 300 years old, the actual roots can be traced to 1500 years earlier. It symbolises the blending of the Aryan and Dravidian cultures and is presumed to have evolved out of the various ancient theatre traditions of the region like Krishnattam, Ramanattam, Koodiyattam, Mudiyyetu and Teyyam. Mahakavi Vallathol of Cherutoorthi (Palakkad) contributed greatly in the revival of this art by forming Kalamandalam, the famous teaching institution, set up in the thirties.

Mostly based on the mythology and the themes of Ramayana and Mahabharata, a Kathakali performance opens with the thunder of drums, which invites the audiences. The performance lasts night long and till recently only men were allowed to perform even in female roles. Nowadays, though, many women have made their mark in this art form.

As a form of art, Kathakali is a sophisticated spectacle of the supernatural.