Kerala has a spectacular heritage of performing, ritual, folk and classical arts. The time - honored values lie dormant in the living traditions of these performing arts. The feudal chieftains and provincial landlords who patronized these visual and devotional arts for centuries were not only encouraging them as entertainments but were also upholding their moral and ethical messages.

Kathakali

Is Kathakali a stylized dance-drama? Is it a pantomime? Can it be called a classical ballet? One of the world's top-ranking poets and Nobel Laureates Rabindranath Tagore was instantly impressed by the aesthetic range and the narrative techniques of Kathakali when Kalamandalam presented a programme in Santiniketan. Along with Manipuri Tagore included Kathakali in the curriculum of Viswabharati. Kathakali was born only in the 17th century. But in less than four centuries it grew up to represent India's cultural heritage to the world outside. An eclectic art Kathakali evolved its classicism receiving inspiration from most of its predecessors such as Koodiyaattam, Krishnanaattam, Raamanaattam, Theyyam, Mudiyeettu and martial arts like Padayani and Kalaripayattu.

Kathakali plays have their themes selected from the great Indian epics, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Bhaagavata. The play synchronizes on stage nritta (pure dance), nritya (expressional dance), naatya (histrionics), geeta (vocal music) and vaadya (percussion ensemble). Kathakali characters communicate through the language of hand-gestures (over six hundred gestures are in use), body movements and facial expressions. The text of the play is sung by the principal and supporting vocalists. The dancers symbiotically translate the songs into appropriate gestures, movements and expressions. Chenda and Maddalam are the two major percussion instruments used in Kathakali. They provide audio effect to the performance by tracing the character behavior, which includes both the aamgika (gestural) and saatvika (emotional) aspects of abhinaya (acting)

Kathakali make-up and costuming (the aahaarya aspect of acting) is intricate, elaborate and colorful. It takes about three hours for an actor to transform into a full-fledged character with facial make-up, head-gear, ornaments and colorful costumes. Kathakali characters are broadly divided into noble, wicked and grotesque. Their make-up and costumes differ from one another. Love, Separation, virtue vs. vice, comic-relief, emotional struggles; gruesome-war and murder are common scenes in the Kathakali plays. More than the themes, the stylistics of individual performers is the abiding passion of Kathakali fans.

Koodiyattom

Koodiyattom, the sole surviving classical Sanskrit theatre has recently won the UNESCO's recognition as an illustrious example manifesting intangible human heritage. It is a two thousand year old theatre-tradition. Traditionally Koothu and Koodiyattom are the privilege of the temple castes known as Chakyars and Nambiars. Chakyars enact the male-characters and nangiars (the females of the Nambiars) enact the female characters. Nambiars play Mizhaavu, the major percussion-instrument in Koodiyattom. The plays of Kulasekhara, Sakthibhadra, Bhasa, Kalidasa and Bodhayana are presented act by act in Koodiyattom. The four-fold concept of acting dealt with in the Natyashastra, sage Bharata's ancient treatise on dramaturgy; find its due significance in Koodiyattom. Aamgika (hand-gestures and body-movements), vaachika (spoken word or verbal acting), aahaarya (make-up and costuming) and saatvika (expression of emotions) in Koodiyattom are highly stylized. One finds in Koodiyattom more of natyadharmi (stylized acting) compared to other classical art-forms.

Mohiniyattom

There is no precise historical evidence to establish the antiquity of Mohiniyattom, the classical female dance-tradition of Kerala. Probably it was evolved in the seventeenth century. In the court of King Swathi Thirunal who ruled Travancore (South Kerala) in the 18th century, Mohiniyattom flourished along with Bharatanatyam, the classical dance of Tamil Nadu. The make-up and costume of Mohiniyattom is simple and semi-realistic. The dancer's face is made up of yellow and pink-paste. She wears sandal colored, jerry - decorated jacket and waist garment. . Jasmine flowers adorn her tied up hair. Her eyes are blackened with collirium and lips reddened. The theme of Mohiniyattom is, in general, devotional love towards God the eternal lover. Vishnu or Krishna is more often the hero. We feel his invisible presence when the heroine or her companion (sakhi) describes him through graceful laasya (feminine) type of dance involving delicate hand-gestures and circular, wave like body-movements. In the slow and medium tempos the dancer finds adequate space for improvisations and suggestive facial expressions. The invocation of Mohiniyattom is known as colkkettu. Jatisvaram, varnam, padam and tillaana are the other items in a Mohiniyattom-recital. Varnam is the piece of de resistance in Mohiniyattom. Tillaana unfolds to the audience the dancer's rhythmic virtuosity. Padam focuses on abhinaya. Mridamgam, Violin and Edakka lend excellent support to the vocal music and to the visual rhythm of Mohiniyattom.

Thullal

Thullal is a considerably simplified single-actor performing art that enjoyed much more popular appeal than Kathakali, the so called 'total theatre'. Kunchan Nambiar who lived in the 18th century composed dozens of Thullal stories, adding to the literature of the local language, Malayalam. A new genre which consisted of narrative poetry replete with social criticism surcharged with pungent satire and sarcasm. These compositions were singularly suitable for presentation on the stage attracting even the unsophisticated illiterate through highly rhythmic recitation enlivened by closely accompanying percussion instruments and agile dance involving mono-act. Thullal has three varieties - Seethankan, Ottan and Parayan. The distinction between them lies mostly in the make-up and costumes and to some extent in the metres and the rhythm used. Thullal often reflects the literary, artistic and cultural life of the medieval Kerala. In Thullal, episodes from the Indian epics are retold in simple Malayalam couplets that are interconnected and resemble blank verse. The stylized singing of the lines carries with it the beauty of the Dravidian meters. Thullal is a solo performance. As a semi-stylized dance-theatre, Thullal is a more popular entertainment than other temple arts. In the present day it has turned out to be an effective medium of even election-campaign. The performer establishes easy rapport with the audience through verbal acting which is full of humor and social references.

Panchavadyam

Panchavadyam, an orchestra composed of Timila, Maddalam, Edakka, Cymbals and Kompu were introduced in Kalamandalam as a course of study only recently. It is an ensemble performed mostly during temple-festivals. Panchavadyam provides sufficient scope for collective and individual performance. Starting from a slow tempo it steadily progresses and reaches the crescendo. It is a tower of rhythm created in front of caparisoned elephants lining up in the temple-yard during the festival. The music of Panchavadyam is engrossing especially in the lush green background of the pastoral-temples.

Kalaripayattu

Kalaripayattu is perhaps the most ancient martial art in the world. Religions have incorporated Kalaripayattu into their realm. The origin of Kalaripayattu is still in the midst of obscurity. Traditional Kalari masters attribute mythological stories and legends to the origin of the art. Legend traces the 3000-year-old art form to Sage Parasurama- the master of all martial art forms and credited to be the re-claimer of Kerala from the Arabian Sea.

At the turn of the 6th century A.D., martial arts spread from Southern India to China by Daruma Bodhidarma - an Indian Buddhist monk and Kalaripayattu master. From China, martial arts have spread to Korea & Japan. Kalaripayattu is derived from the words Kalari - which means "place, threshing floor, or battlefield", and payattu - which means to "exercise in arms or practice".

Martial arts have been in existence on the Indian sub-continent for thousands of years. Long ago, animal fighting styles were imitated by pre-historic man which was a system for survival. The first weapon used was the stick which was an extension of the arm. Various weapons were later invented during the Stone and Iron Ages. Even in Vedas they have mentioned about martial arts. Kalaripayattu is one such martial art, Crafted in ancient South India and draws inspiration from the raw power, majestic strength and instinctive fighting techniques of animals like lion, tiger, elephant, wild boar, crocodile etc.

It is significant that some Kalaripayattu masters trace their lineages of practice to "Dhanur Veda" and claim that the texts in which their martial techniques are recorded derive from Dhanur Vedic texts. Although the Dhanur Veda means the "science of archery," it encompassed all the traditional fighting arts. The explicit concern in Dhanur Veda texts is not with battlefield strategies, but rather with training in martial techniques.

The inherent beauty of this art form lies in the harmonious synergy of art, science and medicine. The various movements in Kalari are based on animal movements. Several poses are named after animals. Hence it is generally believed to have developed in the jungles when hunters observed the fighting techniques of various animals.

In a Phoenix like resurrection, Kalaripayattu is today emerging in a new avatar - an ancient art form - a source of inspiration for self-expression in dance forms - both traditional and contemporary, in theatre, in fitness and in movies too.

Margamkali

Margamkali is a Syrian Christian art which is very ancient. This is made sure by a report of Fr. Antonio de Gouvea, secretary to Archbishop Dom Menezis. Gouvea (1607,87) the secretary to Archbishop Menezis has reported explicitly about a public reception accorded to the archbishop at Ankamali in which Christian male performers participated to entertain the Archbishop who arrived after a day's prolonged journey. (Choondal, 1986, 7).
From his description of the salient features of it, we are made sure that it is Margamkali. It is a male round dance consisting of 12 people. At the centre of this round an oil lamp is placed which denotes Christ with his twelve apostles. There is a traditional text for this in 14 strophies having 450 lines (Choondal, 1986, 2). This song is an elaboration of the activities and martyrdom of St. Thomas in Malabar (Vellian and Choondal, 1995, 411).

It has got Close affinity with the Acts of the Apostle St. Thomas, an apocryphal book by Bardaisan in the third century. We do not know who the originator of Margamkali is. However, Anjilimoottil Ittithomman Kathanar is supposed to be the re-invigorator and reformer of it (Vellian and Choondal, 1995, 19). Mr. P.U. Lukas has collected these songs in the Purathanappattukal. There after, many others have reproduced it. Hadusa, an institute for Christian performing Arts, is established to popularize Margamkali, and it has done a great work in that direction. Thanks to the efforts of Hadusa this play is included in the school youth festival and at the college level. It seems females play better than the males.

We do not know weather Knanites are the originators of this play. Still it is a fact that they alone preserved it during the past centuries, and they performed it on festive occasions, especially during the time of marriage. Later many other songs also were added to the original test, though many of them are not in concomitance with the subject matter of the original test.

Theyyam

Theyyam is one of the most outstanding ancient dance forms of North Kerala. There are so many Bagavathi Kavus and Tharavadu in Payyanur and nearby villages where Theyyam is performed. The word 'Theyyam' originated from 'Daivam' means nothing but God. The Theyyam or Kolam (a form or shape), represents a mythological, divine or heroic character. There are around 400 Theyyams in northern Kerala. The bizarre head dresses, costumes and body painting and trance like performances are very extraordinary. Each one has a distinguishing headgear and costume made out of natural materials like coconut leaves and bark. Musical accompaniments are Chenda, elathalam and kuzhal (horn). The Theyyams are exclusively performed by the male members of the traditional caste groups like Malayan, Vannan, Navilan, Pulayan, Koppalan and Velan. They actually belong to the scheduled castes and tribes. Female roles are also enacted by men wearing suitable makeup and colourful costumes. During the festival season between January and April, Theyyam performances can be seen in most of the Bagavathi Kavu (Temple) at North Malabar during December - April of every year.

Oppana

This is a popular form of social entertainment among the Muslim community of Kerala prevalent all over, especially in the northern districts of Kannur, Calicut and Malappuram.

Oppana is generally presented by females, numbering about fifteen including musicians, on a wedding day. The bride dressed in all finery, covered with gold ornaments is the chief spectator who sits on a peetam, around which the singing and dancing take place. While they sing, they clap their hands rhythmically and move around the bride using simple steps. Two or three girls begin the songs and the rest join in chorus.

Sometime Oppana is also presented by males to entertain the bridegroom. It usually takes place just before the bridegroom leaves for the bride's residence where the Nikkaah (marriage) takes place or at the time he enters the Maniyara.

Harmonium, Thabala, Ganjira and Elathalam are the musical instruments employed for this performance. Only the Mappilapaattu will be sung on the occasion.

The word Oppana may have been derived from Arabic form Afna. There are two types of Oppana, one is Oppana chayal another is Oppana murukkam. When Oppana chayal is performed, they do not clap their hands. If it begins with Chayal it would also end with Chayal only.

Chavittu Nadakam

Chavittu Nadakam is a Christian art form performed in parts of south India. This dance drama is very popular in the state of Kerala. Its history begins with arrival of the Portuguese to the Malabar shores. This drama has an interesting history to tell. When the Portuguese came to Kerala, they felt emptiness in their cultural arena. They required a medium to spread the myths and the legends, which they held in reverence. They were impressed with Kathakali, but their inflated feeling did not allow them to graft their legends on it. Thus they created a distinctive dance drama of their own and named it as Chavittu Nadakam.

Chavittu Nadakam is usually performed on open stages. Sometimes the interior of a church is also a location. The performers wear Greco-Roman costumes and even the stage props bear several foreign influences. The actors sing their lines loudly with exaggerated sign. The language used is a colloquial blend of Tamil and Malayalam.

A peculiar feature of this drama art is the actors pounding (stamping or Chavittu) the dance floor producing resonant sounds to emphasize the dramatic situations. Hence literally Chavittu Nadakam means 'Stamping Drama'. The play is considered a success if at the end, the stage cave into the pressure of heavy stamping.

Thiruvathirakkali

Thiruvathirakkali or Kaikottikkali is a popular dance form of the women folk of Kerala. The dance is performed on festivals like Onam and Thiruvathira, by eight to ten girls, forming a circle, singing and dancing to the rhythm of clapping hands. Simplicity and lyrical grace are characteristics of this dance. Thiruvathirakkali has a semi-religious significance, in that it is a ritual performed to ensure a happy and harmonious marital life.

The dancers wear the typical dress of Kerala (Mundu and Veshti) with their hair adorned with jasmine flowers. This dance form has an amazing charm and instills both erotic and devotional sentiments. Moving in a circle around a lighted lamp, clock wise and anti-clock wise, the dancers bend sideways also for clapping their hands together in beautiful gestures. The songs, tunes, and rhythm of the dance are closely associated with the social life and natural beauty of Kerala.

Kerala Temple Architecture

Temples in Kerala have a distinct architecture of their own. Although there are many elements borrowed from the temples in other parts of the country, some aspects stand out on their own.

A temple in Kerala is usually referred by the term 'ambalam,' 'kshetram' or occasionally 'tali.' The term used in the olden days was 'mukkalvattom.' The overall structure of the temple is simple, lacking the exquisite complexity of the temples belonging to the neighboring states.

The central structure is the 'shrikovil,' the sanctum sanctorum housing the main deity. The sanctum sanctorum is usually aligned in the east-west direction. A path surrounds it, through which the devotees can walk around in a symbolic gesture of revering the deity.

A hall, called 'namaskara mandapam,' is situated in front of the sanctum to accommodate the devotees. There is usually a kitchen located in the south-eastern corner outside the sanctum. A 'dwaja stambham' or flagstaff is located outside the sanctum. The outer courtyard of the temple complex houses smaller shrines for other deities. There is also a stage for showcasing various musical concerts and cultural programs associated with the temple. A major feature of a Kerala temple is the 'vilakku maadam,' the multi-tiered brass lamps, which are lit during festivals.

The overall shape of the temple complex may be square, rectangular, circular, elliptical or apsidal. Of these structures, the circular style is a unique feature of a Kerala temple. In these temples, there is an outer wall enclosing the circular inner shrine. The outer walls boast of functional doors on all sides. This kind of circular temple contains a conical roof.

A striking feature of a temple in Kerala is the use of a sloping roof. This style has been adopted taking in consideration the constant and heavy rainfall in this region. The roof, which is usually four sided, rests directly on the walls. The raw-materials used in the construction also show the tendency to adapt to the local climate. The roof is constructed from wooden planks, tiles or timber frames covered with sheet metals. The base is usually built of granite, while the walls are made from wood, laterite or brick and stucco.