Kathakali is a traditional form of Indian classical dance and one of the most complex forms of Indian theatre, native to the Malayalam-speaking state of Kerala and practiced almost entirely by the Malayali people. It is built on a body of verse texts known as Kathakali literature or Attakatha, historically performed in the courts of kings and at temple festivals, drawing on the navarasas of the Natya Shastra text attributed to the sage Bharata, with distinctive large-scale makeup and costume, and is closely related to the older Kerala theatre form Koodiyattam, the only surviving specimen of ancient Sanskrit theatre and a form recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Facts
Place of OriginKerala, India, native to its Malayalam-speaking region 1 Notable ExampleThe four Nalacharitham plays attributed to Unnayi Variyar, staged across four nights on the story of Nala and Damayanti 1 Defining TraitA classical dance drama distinguished by movements drawn from ancient Indian martial arts and athletic traditions, developed historically in royal courts rather than temples 1 FAQs
Who traditionally performs Kathakali and how are its characters told apart?
Men and boys perform every part, and five makeup styles mark the character types.
Traditionally Kathakali is performed exclusively by men and young boys, who play the parts of both males and females. Characters are told apart by costumes and makeup with distinct colors and patterns that indicate character types, and there are five primary makeup styles called vesham: pacha, kathi, thadi, kari and minukku.
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Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Kathakali (Wikipedia)tier 2
Sources
1. Kathakali (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
It is native to the Malayalam-speaking state of Kerala and is almost entirely practiced by the Malayali people.
Style and development section
Kathakali differs in that it also incorporates movements from ancient Indian martial arts and athletic traditions of South India
Repertoire section, on Unnayi Variyar
Typically, his four plays are performed on four nights, and they relate to the mythical Hindu love story of Nala and Damayanti.
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