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KERALA
FACT FILE :
Geography : Kerala is located on the southwestern coast of India,
a narrow strip of fertile tropical land stretching about 600kms
north south. Bordered by the Arabian Sea on the west and the
Western Ghats in the east.
Weather : Warm and humid year round on the plains. Pleasant
and bracing in the hills.
Day temp Night temp
Plains 30 - 34° C 21 - 25° C
Hills 20 - 24° C 04 - 14° C
The monsoon rains are from June to September.
Language : Malayalam. But most people understand English. A
good percentage can converse in English too.
Clothing : Light cottons in the plains and light woollens on
the hills. Recommend that a cap or hat is used or kept handy
at all times to protect the head from the sun. Sandals will
get you through in most places but for trekking in the hills,
suitable footwear is needed.
KATHAKALI
Kathakali which literally means a " Story play " is
Kerala's most popular classical dance form and has become synonymous
with Kerala. Traditionally performed in the open temple grounds
in conjunction with festivals these performances go on throughout
the night. The elaborately made up actors do not utter a word
but instead enact the dialogue being sung by the musicians from
behind the curtain. Two percussion instruments - the "Chenda",
an upright drum with curved drumsticks and the "Maddalam",
a horizontal hand drum provide the background music together
with the cymbals. The actors convey the dialogue using hand
gestures, facial expressions and movements. Themes are from
the ancient Hindu epics, the "Ramayana" and the "Mahabharatha".
The elaborate application of make up and donning of the costumes
and headgear are as interesting as the actual performance. Short
performances of 1-2 hrs are staged at centres in Cochin &
Trivandrum.
MOHINIYATTOM
This dance form is called " the dance of the enchantress
". Mohiniyattom is performed by women. Hindu mythology
has it that enchantresses were used by the gods to prevent the
Asuras and powerful earthly beings from completing their rituals
to make them more powerful. Mohiniyattom is considered
to be a fusion of Bharathanatyam and Kathakali.The dancer
is dressed in traditional Kerala aristocratic attire, with plenty
of brocade and gold ornaments. The hairdo is also traditional
with jasmine flowers. The artist attempts to create a mood of
seduction using her movements, eye and hand gestures. Unfortunately
there are no regular performances of Mohiniyattom but various
schools of dance can provide a recital on prior request.
THEYYAM
One of the oldest, ritual dances of Kerala, Theyyam is
native to the temples of Malabar - the northern districts of
Kerala. Theyyam dances are always by males sometimes dressed
as women. Themes are centered around the goddess Bhagwati and
her exploits and victories over the demons. Predominant colours
used in the make up are red and black. The Theyyam dancers often
have headgear 40ft high made out of palm leaves & cloth.
The musical accompaniment is mainly the Chenda drum. Performed
in the temples of north Kerala as part of the daily rituals
and festivals one can watch a recital if requested early enough.
Watch the dramatic and colourful ritual dance form "Theyyam"
performed in its natural surounding in near by temple.
KALARIPAYATTU
Kalaripayattu is believed to be the fore-runner of Martial arts
such as Judo, Karate and Tae-kwon-do.It is said to have originated
in the 12th century AD and the word Kalaripayattu translates
as " Combat inside the arena ". This tradition still
continues and is conducted in specially constructed arenas or
Kalaris where this art is taught by the Gurukkal or the master.
While training the Gurukkal institutes a strict regime of physical
training and self discipline among the disciples. In fact one
is said to require several years of rigorous training before
the master is confident of his abilities. Kalaripayattu is still
practised in the Malabar region and there is also a kind of
treatment exclusive to this art called Kalari chikilsa which
is a type of oil massage similar to traditional Ayurveda but
which evolved for the specific needs of the performers. One
can watch performances of Karipayattu at the Kalari centers
in Trivandrum, Cochin and Calicut.
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