Art Forms Of Kerala - A Small Note

Kerala is known as God's own country. The exotic beauty of nature attracts everyone. There are many art forms in Kerala. These traditional art forms add another golden feather in the crown of Kerala. Never miss a chance to watch these performances. Some of the traditional arts listed below.

• Kathakali

It is one of the renowned classical art forms of India and the art form of Kerala. The meaning of Kathakali is 'story- play'. It is believed that Kathakali is originated from Krishnanattam. Kathakali originated in the 17th century. The costumes and makeup are different from other art forms. The Kathakali performer needs 3 to 5 hours for makeup and dress. Only a well-trained makeup artist can do the Kathakali makeup work. In Kathakali there are different costumes like sathwika, Kathi, Minukku, and Thadi.

Sathwika is the hero, Kathi is the villain, Minukku is the female, and Thadi (beard) is of three types: Chuvanna Thadi (red beard), Vella Thadi (white beard), and Karutha Thadi (black thadi). The cruel character appears in Chuvanna Thadi costume.

The Kathakali performers perform it according to the music in the background. There is no recorded music. The music will be played by using different Indian instruments like Chenda, Idakka, Thalam, and Shuddha madalam in the stage.

The gestures and body moments are strong in Kathakali. The facial expression and body moments tell the story to the audience. To show the facial moments and gestures the performer need months of strict practice. Many foreigners come to Kerala to experience this art form. There are many institutions which provide proper training to learn Kathakali traditional dress of kerala.

• Mohiniyattam

Mohiniyattam is a classical dance form and the traditional dance of Kerala. This dance form is so graceful and beautiful body moments and gestures tell a story through this. The expression through face and eyes are really awesome to watch. The costume of this feminine dance Mohiniyattam is always in a cream white sari with golden borders. Ornaments and hair tied to the side of the head like a bun with white flowers add more beauty to the costume. The gestures have different meaning. The instruments like Mridangam, Vina, Shuddha Madalam, edakka etc. are used. It will be played live.

• Koodiyattam

Koodiyattam is the earliest dance form of Kerala. UNESCO honored this dance for as the masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. Koodiyattam is the oldest dance form of more than 500 years of traditions. The literal meaning of Koodiyattam is acting together. The theme for this dance form is based on Hindu mythology. In old times Koodiyattam was performed in temples theatres. But now there are many other platforms to perform this art. Koodiyattam gives importance to acting more than dance. That's why this art form known as the mother of abhinaya (mother of acting). The mizhavu drummers beat it to let know that Koodiyattam is going to start. Green color makeup is for heroic characters. Red, black, and white are the colors used in costumes. The performance lasts for 41 days.

• Krishnanattam

The former Zamorin of Calicut Manaveda Varma wrote Krishnagiti. It is a Sanskrit text of slokas and padams. Krishnanattam is based on this Krishnagiti. This dance drama tells the story of Lord Krishna. Krishnanattam is an 8-day performance about 8 different stories of Lord Krishna. They are:
Avataram: Birth of Lord Krishna
Kaliyamardanam: Defeat of Kaliya Snake
Rasakrida: Play of Krishna and Gopis.
Kamsavadham: Killing Asura King Kamsa
Swayamvaram: The Marriage
Banayuddham: War with Bana
Vividavadham: Slaying of Vivida
Swargarohanam: Returning to Heaven are the 8 pays. The costume of male and female are different. The costume and makeup of Krishnanattam are somehow similar to Kathakali. It is said that Kathakali is originated from Krishnanattam. Krishnanattam need years of regular and perfect practice.

• Chakyarkoothu

Chakyarkoothu is one of the traditional art forms of Kerala. It is a solo performance. The performer is known as Chakyar. Chakyar narrates the story from epics like Mahabharata, Ramayana or any other incidents. Sometimes they narrate about current stories. They entertain the audience by telling the stories in comedy or joke way. Chakyar will tell jokes about any person who sitting or standing to watch the performance. In early times it was performed in temple stages and later the performer got many other platforms to perform. Poetry and prose are used in Chakyarkoothu. The makeup of Chakyarkoothu is in bright colors. Chakyarkoothu is performed by male artists. Turmeric powder, rice powder, and black powder is used for facial makeup.

These are some of the art forms that I'm familiar with. You can enjoy these art forms and many others by visiting Kerala. For this there are affordable Kerala tourism packages for you. Kerala tourism is always looking forward to giving the best tourism experiences.