KATHAKALI
Kerala
owes its transnational fame to this nearly 300 years old classical dance
form which combines facets of ballet, opera, masque and the pantomime. It
is said to have evolved from other performing arts like Kootiyattam,
Krishnanattam and Kalarippayattu. Kathakali explicates ideas
and stories from the Indian epics and Puranas.
Presented in the temple precincts after dusk falls Kathakali is heralded by the Kelikottu or the beating of drums in accompaniment of the Chengila (gong). The riches of a happy blending of colour, expressions, music, drama and dance is unparallelled in any other art form.
Kathakali
Make-up
Costume is
elaborate with the face painted up. Great importance is laid on the Vesham
or make-up which are of five types - Pacha, Kathi, Thadi, Kari and Minukku.
The
pomp and magnificence of Kathakali is partly due to its decor part
of which is the kireetam or huge headgear and the kanchukam
the over sized jackets, and a long skirt worn over a thick padding of
cushions. The identity of the actor is completely mutilated to create a
super human being of larger-than-life proportion.
Pacha
(Green)
Pacha Vehsam
or the green make-up portray noble protagonists.
Kathi
(Knife)
Kathi Vesham
portrays villainous characters.
Thadi
(Beard)
There are three
types of bearded or Thadi Veshams.
"Vella Thadi" or White beard for superhuman monkeys like
Hanuman.
"Chuvanna Thadi" or Red beard is for evil characters.
"Karutha Thadi" or Black beard for the hunter.
Kari
(Black)
Kari Vesham
is used for she-demons.
Minukku
(Prettying Up)
The "Minukku
Vesham" is used for female characters and sages.
Mudra
Mudra is
a stylized sign language used to depict an idea, a situation or a state of
being. A Kathakali actor enacts his ideas through mudras.
For this he follows a systematic sign language based on Hastalakshana
Deepika, a treatise on the language of hand gestures.
Kathakali
Music
The orchestra is
formed of two varieties of drums - the maddalam and chenda;
the chengila which is a bell metal gong and the ilathalam or
cymbals.
Kathakali
Training
Students of Kathakali
have to undergo rigorous training replete with oil massages and separate
exercises for eyes, lips, cheeks, mouth and neck. Abhinaya or
expression is of prime importance as is nritya or dance and geetham
or singing.
Together
with highly evocative facial expressions, the mudras and the music
both vocal and instrumental, Kathakali unfolds stories from a
bygone era in a lofty style reminiscent of the Greek plays. Kerala
Kalamandalam, is the prominent institution imparting Kathakali
training in the traditional way.
CHAVITTUNATAKOM
A Christian art form of Kerala. Evolved at the turn of the
16th Century AD during the Portuguese colonization and bears definite
traces of the European Christian Miracle Play. In this musical drama, the
actors wear Greco-Roman costumes and even the stage props bear several
foreign influences. In the past, the Chavittunatakom was performed on open
stages, though sometimes the interior of a church was also a venue. The
language is a colloquial mix of Tamil and Malayalam.
A dance form essential to the wedding entertainment and
festivities of the Malabar Muslims. Maidens and young female relatives
sing and dance around the bride, clapping their hands. The songs of Mappilappattu,
are first sung by the leader and are repeated by the chorus. The themes
are often teasing comments and innuendoes about the bride's anticipated
nuptial bliss. Oppana is often presented as a stage item today.
A spectacle for both the scholar and the simple rustic. The
visual effect is enhanced by varied and colourful facial make-up with
larger-than-life-masks, made of light wood and cloth padding, for certain
characters. The characters who do not wear masks have specific facial
colours applied within the frame of a white chutti. The predominant
colours used are dark green, flesh tint and deep rose. Most of the
characters wear red vests and flowing 'Uthariyams'. The characters
of Krishna, Arjuna and Garuda wear dark blue vests.
The traditional performance lasts for eight days and covers
the whole span of Krishna's life from his birth to 'Swargarohanam'
or ascension to the heavens. Orchestral accompaniments are Maddalam,
Ilathalam and Chengila. Krishnanattom, though
boasting of a unique choreography, assumes more the nature of a Morality
Play, seldom presuming to lay claim to the theatrical sophistry so
integral to Kathakali and Kootiyattam.
The sinuous dance of the enchantress, this is a distinctive
classical dance form of Kerala. Slow, graceful, swaying movements of the
body and limbs and highly emotive eye and hand gestures are unique to this
dance form. The simple, elegant gold-filigreed dress, in pure white or
ivory, is akin to the traditional attire of the women of Kerala. The
origin of Mohiniyattom is rooted in Hindu mythology. Once the ocean of
milk was churned by the gods and demons to extract the elixir of life and
immortality. The demons made away with this divine brew.
Lord Vishnu came to the rescue of the panicky gods and assumed the female form of an amorous celestial dame Mohini. Captivating the demons with her charms, Mohini stole the elixir from them and restored it to the gods. This dance was adopted by the Devadasi or temple dancers, hence also the name 'Dasiattam' which was very popular during the Chera reign from 9th to 12th century.
Thiruvathirakali is a dance performed by women, in order to
attain everlasting marital bliss, on Thiruvathira day in the
Malayalam month of Dhanu (December- January). The dance is a
celebration of marital fidelity and the female energy, for this is what
brought Kamadeva (the god of love) back to life after he was
reduced to ashes by the ire of Lord Siva. The sinuous movements executed
by a group of dancers around a nilavilakku, embody 'lasya' or
the amorous charm and grace of the feminine. The dance follows a circular,
pirouetting pattern accompanied by clapping of the hands and singing.
Today, Thiruvathirakali has become a popular dance form for all
seasons
A folk art mainly of the agrarian classes, Kolkkali is
a highly rhythmic dance with the dancers wielding short sticks. The rhythm
of this dance is set by a harmonious synchronisation of the tapping of the
feet to the striking of sticks. The movement is circular and the artists
sing as they dance and strike the sticks in unison. Though the dancers
break away to form different patterns, they never miss a beat. In Malabar,
Kolkkali is more popular among Muslim men.
Kootiyattam
literally means "acting together". This is the
earliest classical dramatic art form of Kerala. Based on Sage Bharatha's 'Natyasasthra'
who lived in the second century, Kootiyattam evolved in the 9th
century AD.
Kootiyattam
is enacted inside the temple theatre, there are two or more
characters onstage at the same time, with the Chakkiars providing
the male cast and the Nangiars playing the female roles. The Nangiars
beat the cymbals and recite verses in Sanskrit, while in the background Nambiars
play the Mizhavu, a large copper drum.
Vidushaka
or the wise man, a figure parallel to the Fool in
Shakespearean plays, enacts his role with the liberty to criticise anyone
without fear. The costume of the jester sets him apart from the rest. The Kootiyattam
performance lasts for several days ranging from 6 to 20 days. Themes are
based on mythology.
The Koodal Manickyam temple at Irinjalakkuda and the
Vadakkumnatha temple at Thrissur are the main centres where Kootiyattam
is still performed annually. Ammannoor Madhava Chakkiar is an unrivalled
maestro of this rare art.
Thullal is a solo performance combining the dance and
recitation of stories in verse. Staged during temple festivals, the
performer explicates the verses through expressive gestures. The themes
are based on mythology. This satiric art form was introduced in the18th
century by the renowned poet Kunchan Nambiar. Humour, satire and social criticism are the hallmarks of
Thullal. The make up, though simple, is very much akin to that of Kathakali.
The Thullal dancer is supported by a singer who repeats the verses
and is accompanied by an orchestra of mridangam or thoppi
maddalam (percussions) and cymbals. There are three related forms of Thullal
- Ottanthullal , Seethankanthullal and Parayanthullal -
of which the first is the most popular. The three are distinguished by the
costumes worn and the metre of the verses.
Thullal
is usually performed in the premises of temples during festivals and
provides for thought and entertainment to the thousands of people who
gather at these events.
Theyyam,
which is also known as Kaaliyattam, is a ritual dance
popular in
north Kerala or the erstwhile Kolathunadu. Theyyam
incorporates dance, mime and music and enshrines the rudiments of ancient
tribal cultures which attached great importance to the worship of heroes
and the spirits of ancestors. Of the over 400 Theyyams performed,
the most spectacular ones are those of Raktha Chamundi, Kari Chamundi,
Muchilottu Bhagavathi, Wayanadu Kulaveni, Gulikan and Pottan.
These are performed in front of shrines, sans stage or curtains, by
persons belonging to the Vannan, Malayan and other related castes.
'Thudangal' (the beginning) and 'Thottam' (the invocation) are the introductory rituals of the Theyyam or the Thira, as it is known in south Malabar. The headgear and other ornamental decorations are spectacular in sheer size and appearance. Karivalloor, Nileswaram, Kurumathoor, Parassini, Cherukunnu, Ezhom and Kunnathoorpadi in north Malabar are places where Theyyams are performed annually from December to April.