Indian Art & Culture
Kathakali
Classical Indian dance
Overview
Kathakali is a traditional form of Indian Classical Dance, and one of the most complex forms of Indian theatre. It is native to the Malayalam-speaking state of Kerala and is almost entirely practiced by the Malayali people. It is a play of verses. These verses are called Kathakali literature or Attakatha. Mostly played in the courts of kings and temple festivals. Hence it is known as suvarna art forms. This performance uses the navarasas from the Natya Shastra text, authored by sage Bharata. Makeup and costumes are unique and large. It represents one of Kerala's traditional theater artforms. Kathakali is closely related to a more ancient theater artform of Kerala called Koodiyattam which is the only surviving specimen of the ancient Sanskrit theatre, thought to have originated around the beginning of the common era, and is officially recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Source: Wikipedia — Kathakali (CC BY-SA)
Key concepts
How Kathakali connects to the ideas, people and events around it.
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages.
Indian classical dance, or Shastriya Nritya, is an umbrella term for different regionally specific Indian classical dance traditions, rooted in predominantly Hindu musical theatre performance, the theory and practice of which can be traced to the Sanskrit text Natya Shastra.
Theatre of India is one of the most ancient forms of theatre and it features a detailed textual, sculptural, and dramatic effects which emerged in mid first millennium BC.
Malayalam is a Dravidian language, primarily spoken by the Malayali people, native to the Indian state of Keralam and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry. It is one of 22 scheduled languages, as well as one of 11 classical languages, of India.
Kerala, officially Keralam, is a state on the Malabar Coast of southern India. It was formed on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act, which unified the country's Malayalam-speaking regions into a single state.
The Malayalis are a Dravidian ethnic group native to the southern Indian state of Kerala and the union territory of Lakshadweep. They are predominantly native speakers of the Malayalam language, one of the eleven classical languages of India.
Aattakatha is a literary genre in Malayalam language consisting of the libretto used for the Indian classical dance drama kathakali. The word aatta-katha literally means "story for dancing and acting".
Indian art evolved with an emphasis on inducing special spiritual or philosophical states in the audience, or by representing them symbolically
Revise Kathakali
Flashcards and a quick quiz, built from this map.
Questions about Kathakali
What is Kathakali?
Kathakali is a traditional form of Indian Classical Dance, and one of the most complex forms of Indian theatre. It is native to the Malayalam-speaking state of Kerala and is almost entirely practiced by the Malayali people. It is a play of verses. These verses are called Kathakali literature or Attakatha. Mostly played in the courts of kings and temple festivals. Hence it is known as suvarna art forms.
What are the key concepts related to Kathakali?
The main concepts connected to Kathakali include International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, Indian classical dance, Theatre of India, Malayalam, Kerala, Malayalis, Aattakatha (performance), Indian aesthetics. Each is linked on the map above with its own summary.
Which exams cover Kathakali?
Kathakali is part of Indian Art & Culture, which appears in the syllabus of UPSC CSE, UPSC CAPF, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC MTS, SSC GD and 41 more exams.