Kathakali is one of the oldest theatre forms in the world.

It originated in the area of southwestern

India now known as the state of Kerala. Kathakali is a group presentation, in which dancers take various
roles in performances traditionally based on themes from Hindu mythology, especially the two epics, the
Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

One of the most interesting aspects of Kathakali is its elaborate make-up code. Characters are categorized
according to their nature. This determines the colours used in the make-up. The faces of noble male
characters, such as virtuous kings, the divine hero Rama, etc., are predominantly green. Characters of
high birth who have an evil streak, such as the demon king Ravana, are allotted a similar green make-up,
slashed with red marks on the cheeks. Extremely angry or excessively evil characters wear predominantly
red make-up and a flowing red beard. Forest dwellers such as hunters are represented with a
predominantly black make-up base. Women and ascetics have lustrous, yellowish faces.

Mohiniyattam, also spelled Mohiniattam Malayalam: മ ോഹിനിയോട്ടം), is a traditional South Indian dance
from Kerala, developed by the great Tamil nattuvanar (dance master) Vadivelu,one of the Thanjavur
Quartet. It is one of the eight Indian classical dance forms. It is considered a very graceful dance meant to
be performed as a solo recital by women. The term Mohiniyattam comes from the words "Mohini"
meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam" meaning graceful and sensuous body
movements. The word "Mohiniyattam" literally means "dance of the enchantress". There are two stories
of the Lord Vishnu disguised as a Mohini. In one, he appears as Mohini to lure the asuras (demons) away
from the amrita (nectar of immortality) obtained during the churning of the palazhi or Ocean of Milk.

Arjuna nritham (the dance of Arjuna) is a ritual art performed by men and is prevalent in
the Bhagavathy temples of Kerala. Arjuna, the most valiant of the five heroic brothers - the
Pandavas - of the epic Mahabharatha, was also a renowned singer and dancer and is said to have
propitiated goddess Bhadrakaali by a devotional presentation.

Arjuna nritham is also called Mayilppeeli nritham as the costume includes a characteristic
garment made of mayilppeeli (peacock feathers). This garment is worn around the waist in a
similar fashion as the uduthukettu of Kathakali . The performers have their faces painted green
and wear distinctive headgears. The all night performance of the dance form is usually presented
solo or in pairs.

The songs which are strictly rhythm based are called Kavithangal and deal with various themes
of the Puranas (ancient Hindu scriptures). Each Kavitham is composed to suit a specific rhythm.
Before each song the dancers explain the intricacies of the particular rhythm about to be
employed and how this rhythm is translated into dance movements.

Kuchipudi (pronounced as 'Koochipoodi') is a Classical Indian dance form from Andhra

Pradesh, India. It is also popular all over South India. Kuchipudi is the name of a village in the
Divi Taluka of Krishna district that borders the Bay of Bengal and with resident Brahmins
practicing this traditional dance form, it acquired the present name.

The performance usually begins with some stage rites, after which each of the character comes
on to the stage and introduces him/herself with a daru (a small composition of both song and
dance) to introduce the identity, set the mood, of the character in the drama. The drama then
begins. The dance is accompanied by song which is typically Carnatic music. The singer is
accompanied by mridangam (a classical South Indian percussion instrument), violin, flute and
the tambura (a drone instrument with strings which are plucked). Ornaments worn by the artists
are generally made of a light weight wood called Boorugu.

Scene: 3 – Rugmangada, Mohini, Dharmangada, Sandhyavali and Vishnu

It is Ekadasi day, and Rukmangada is observing Ekadasivritha strictly. Mohini remembering the
object of her stay with the king invites him for amorous activities. Rugmangada tells her that
being Ekadasi day he has to strictly observe Vrutha, and cannot accede to her desires. Mohini
tells the king that he had promised to satisfy all her desires, and that he should not go back on his
word. The king implores her to release him from the promise for the day. She finally agrees on
condition that Rugmangada agrees to kill his son Dharmangada while he is lying in his mother’s
lap. The king begs Mohini for mercy, but to no avail.

Dharmangada hearing what goes on, arrives on the scene with his mother Sandhyavali. He says
that he will gladly give up his life to help his father keep his promise. After great mental torture,
the king decides that he would rather kill his son than break his observance of Ekadasivratha.

Rugmangada is about to kill his son when Vishnu appears, and tells the king that he need not kill
his son, and that Mohini had been specially created by Brahma to test the king’s devotion.
Mohini departs.

Dharmangada is crowned king, and Vishnu takes Rugmangada to Vaikunta.

Seethankanthullal - Among the classical performing arts of Kerala, Thullal is distinct for its
simplicity of presentation, wit and humour. It follows the classical principles of Natyasasthra (a
treatise on art compiled in the 2nd century B.C).

Thullal is a solo performance combining dance and recitation of stories in verse. Staged during
temple festivals, the performer explicates the verses through expressive gestures. Themes are
based on mythology. Thullal was introduced in the 18th century by the famous Malayalam poet
Kunchan Nambiar. Humour, satire and social criticism are the hallmarks of this art form. The
Thullal dancer is supported by two musicians on the Mridangam or the Thoppi Maddalam and
cymbals. Both musicians are expected to repeat the verses recited by the dancer.

Seethankanthullal is one of the three forms of Thullal. The other two are Ottanthullal and
Parayan Thullal. The songs and dance in Seethankanthullal are slower than Ottanthullal in metre,
rhythm and tempo. The costume is fascinating. The dancer wears a black cloth around his head
with a band of tender palm leaves that give the impression of a crown. Ornaments that look like
lotus blooms, made of palm fronds adorn the arms and wrist, and dozens of bead necklaces are
worn round the neck. A red waist band with a long length of white cloth looped around it forms
the skirt typical of the Thullal costume.

CHUVANNA THADI IN KATHAKALI

In Kathakali characters of bearded type known as thadi are of three varieties. The most
aggressive and demoniac are known as chuvanna thadi (red beard), mythical and fabulous beings
like the monkey-gods are known as vellathadi (white beard); aboriginals, forest-men and cave-
dwellers are known as karutha thadi (black beards). The lowest type of beings like the aggressor
are classed as kari (black). The gentle and spiritually inclined characters (like women, sages,
Brahmins etc.) come under the type known as minukku (polished).

The vesham or (make-up) for Kathakali is of great importance as the vesham itself speaks a lot
on the identity, character and class of the character presented. The vesham symbolically
represents five classes, Pacha (green) portrays noble protagonists, Kathi (knife) villainous, thadi
(beard), Kari (black) represents low characters and Minukku (prettying up) women, sages,
brahmins etc.

The Chenda (pronounced [tʃeɳʈa]) is a cylindrical percussion instrument used widely in the
state of Kerala, and Tulu Nadu of Karnataka State in India. In Tulu Nadu it is known as Chande.

The chenda is mainly played in Hindu Temple Festivals and as an accompaniment in the
religious art forms of Kerala. The chenda is used as an accompaniment for Kathakali,
Koodiyattam, Kannyar Kali, Theyyam and among many forms of dances and rituals in Kerala. It
is also played in a dance-drama called Yakshagana which is popular in Tulu Nadu of Karnataka.
It is traditionally considered to be an 'Asura Vadyam' which means it cannot go in harmony.
Chenda is an unavoidable musical instrument in all form of cultural activities in Kerala.

Puli Kali ("Puli" = Leopard/Tiger & "Kali" = Play in Malayalam language) also known as
Kaduvakali is a colorful recreational folk art from the state of Kerala. It is performed by trained
artists to entertain people on the occasion of Onam, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly
in the Indian state of Kerala. On the fourth day of Onam celebrations (Nalaam Onam),
performers painted like tigers and hunters in bright yellow, red, and black dance to the beats of
instruments like Udukku and Thakil. Literal meaning of Pulikali is the 'play of the tigers' hence
the performance revolve around the theme of tiger hunting. The folk art is mainly practiced in
Thrissur district of Kerala. Best place to watch the show is at Swaraj Round, Thrissur on the
fourth day of Onam, where Pulikali troupes from all over the district assemble to display their
skills. The festival attracts thousands of people to the city.

Kalaripayattu (Malayalam: കളരിപ്പയറ്റ്, pronounced [kaɭəɾipːajətːɨ̆]) is an Indian martial art

from the southern state of Kerala. One of the oldest fighting systems in existence, if not the
oldest,[1] it is practiced in Kerala and contiguous parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka[2] as well as
northeastern Sri Lanka and among the Malayalese community of Malaysia. It was practiced
primarily by the martial castes of Kerala, like Nairs,[3][4] and Ezhavas.[5]

Kalari payat includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods.[2]
Regional variants are classified according to geographical position in Kerala; these are the
northern style of the Malayalese, the southern style of the Tamils and the central style from inner
Kerala. Northern kalari payat is based on the principle of hard technique, while the southern style
primarily follows the soft techniques, even though both systems make use of internal and
external concepts.
Minukku is the polished variety of facial make-up consisting in smoothening the actor's face with a
coating of a mixture of yellow and red pigments. The composition obtains 'a self' (or natural skin)
complexion colour. It reflects the characters usually found in Brahmins, Rishis and Virtuous women. The
eyes and eye-lashes are painted and contours elongated with the black unguent and greasy collyrium.
Sometimes the face is decorated with white or cream colour dots, running from the cheeks to the fore-
head in a bow-shape. The lips are reddened and the forehead is decorated with a caste mark. This colour
scheme serves to give a symbolic glow of piety to a devotee character. Women role-types are given
delicate touches of the make-up.

Ottamthullal or Ottanthullal (Malayalam:ഓട്ടന് തുള്ളല്, pronounced [oːʈːamt̪uɭːal]) is a type of

performing art from Kerala, south India. The art form was created during the 18th century by legendary
Malayalam poet Kalakkaththu Kunchan Nambiar. The story goes that Nambiar, who was playing the
mizhavu for a Chakyar Koothu show, dozed off in the middle of the performance, thus inviting ridicule
from the Chakyar. A humiliated Nambiar vowed to come up with an alternative art form to Chakyar
koothu, and conjured up an Ottamthullal show that also made fun of prevalent socio-political equations
and prejudices of the region.

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

Kathakali performance begin with a musical note called Thiranottam. Before the beginning of
the drama a loud thumping of drums can be heard. Most often a peaceful love scene is enacted in
the beginning of the show