Monday, 22 September 2014
In the evening we returned to the Fort Cochin area for a Kathikali exhibition. Kathikali is a traditional Keralan dance form that involves elaborate costumes and highly stylized dance. A true Kathikali tells stories from the great Hindu epics and lasts from dusk to dawn. The tourist version lasts about an hour.
The exhibition starts with watching the make-up artist do his magic on the dancer's face.
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| The characters are identifiable by their costume. The green face means this dancer will be the hero of the story -- the one with honor and valor. |
The performance starts with a short dance in the classical style. This is not Kathikali, but is comparable to classical dance forms throughout India.
The Kathikali performance follows.
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| The villain of the story -- a spy who pretends to be an alluring young maiden. |
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| The hero in full costume. |
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| The total costume is not only elaborate, but quite heavy. |
You really need a video to experience the dance:
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