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Dance Form In Kerala Cover Pictures source By Google Image

Kerala has always been a popular destination for tourists and travelers. Yet, as you journey deeper into the state, it opens up. It offers a rich tapestry of art, music, and also equally dance to those who seek it. And it is not wrong to say, Kerala is a sanctum of Art. The Indian cultural heritage and equally religious influence have been the main source of birth to many art forms in this land. Known as “God’s own country in India.

Kerala has around 50 forms of dance. Among these Theyyam, Puli kali, Nangiar Koothu, Koodiyattam, and Ottan Thullal are some of the prominent dance forms. Kerala is also famous all over the world for these two unique dance forms of Kathakali and Mohiniyattam.

Many of these art forms draw from stories of epics, ancient folklore, and even more tales from everyday life. And these include exquisite forms with mudras (Finger and palm movements) and also vivid expressions.

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Makeup Is An Important Art

Make-up is an integral part of several different Kerala dance forms, be it Kathakali, Theyyam, or Ottan Thullal, so much so that it’s taught as a separate discipline at the Kerala Kalamandalam. The make-up process is elaborate also, the colors, usually natural, are extracted from flowers, leaves, stones, and soot, and prepared with a coconut oil base. The predominant color of green is used to depict good, as well as white for spirituality, red for passion, and black for evil.

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Kathakali Dance

A classical art form, it has its origins almost 1,500 years ago in the southern state of Kerala. Kathakali is a perfect combination of dance, drama, music, and religious theme. Kathakali is one of the oldest styles of world theatre. In Malayalam (the local language of Kerala), Kathakali means Story-Play, “Katha-Story” and “Kali-Play”. Usually, men are performing this dance.

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Mohiniyattam

Mohiniattam dance from Kerala — Google Image

A famous and elegant classical dance form of Kerala called Mohiniyattam involves graceful movements. Mohiniyattam is a blend of Bharatanatyam and also Kathakali, as it uses the elements of these dances. This dance is very elegant as it has gentle and graceful movements even though along with mesmerizing eye movements. Only solo women perform this classical dance. As the name itself says, Mohini means a maiden’ and Yattam means ‘dance’.

Theyyam Dance

The most interesting fact about Kerala’s art form is that the majority of these have evolved from temple rituals involving the mythological stories of gods and goddesses. Theyyam, one of these types of rituals of North Kerala which said to have 400 variations. Mudras and the facial expressions of the performer enthrall the audience throughout the performance.

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Koodiyattam Dance

A traditional performing art form, Koodiyattam is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre and Koothu, a Tamil performing art dating from the Sangam era, the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Koodiyattam is a famous temple dance art form.

Ottan Thulla Dance

One of the other lesser-known dance forms of Kerala. Whilst in make-up, dress, and movements, it resembles Kathakali, borrowing from the famous dance that was once meant for the upper echelons of society. This ancient art form used to be presented to criticize the kings and leaders of society humorously. This solo performer wears green make-up and elaborates costumes and also entertains the audience with hand movements, expressions, and also jumping to evoke laughter from the audience. Ottan thullal needs as well as attention to be preserved as a valuable art form of Kerala as it’s slowly losing its value and existence in the modern era

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Nangiar Koothu Dance

Nangiar Koothu or Nangiar koothu is an allied traditional art of Kutiyattam, an age-old Sanskrit drama tradition of India. This dance form, Sree Krishna Charitham, was presented by a female performer in the temples. Mudras and the facial expressions of the performer enthrall the audience throughout the performance.

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Puli Kali Dance

It is a recreational folk art from the state of Kerala. Performed by trained artists to entertain people on the occasion of Onam. The annual harvest festival, to entertain revelers, mainly in the Thrissur district of Kerala. Pulikali means “play of the tigers”, Pulikali performances revolve around the theme of tiger hunting. The performing artists sport bright body paintings of tigers and hunters in yellow, red, and black.

Yoga is the union of body, mind and spirit. And thus, it connects the individual to the universal. It’s about realizing the connection between the finite and the infinite, manifest and the unmanifest. This practice is bringing harmony in Thought, Word and Deed. Rigveda is one among the foremost sacred, and therefore, the oldest books of human history. It’s about eight to ten thousand years old, and it may be a part of this sacred writing. Maharishi Patanjali considered being the authority on yoga propounded, nearly 5000 years ago in ancient India. Lord Krishna and plenty of saints of India have also spoken about yoga. In the middle ages, the practice was confined only to the Royal family. And therefore, the scholarly class taught to students in gurukuls after passing a rigorous test. Bhagavad-Gita says ” Yogaha Karmasukaushalam” meaning yoga is skill in action and expression.

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How Yoga Gains Empires Around The World

The beginnings of yoga date back to the Indus Saraswati Valley civilization 5000 years ago. And it was first discovered

mentioned in the Vedas. More coded and organized. When Patanjali established his knowledge of this technic when he composed the Yoga Sutras around 400 AD, it was forgotten until the recovery of Swami Vivekananda in the late 1860s. Although Patanjali’s practice was aimed at attaining samadhi or knowledge, the rituals that came many centuries after his writings were meant to engage physically and mentally and enhance the living experience.

In 1893, when Swami Vivekananda travelled to Chicago to address the Parliament of the World Religions, he became interested in yoga by drawing attention to the practice. After that, this practice has gained a different dimension around the world. While the practice was accepted with arms wide open throughout the world.

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The Rise Of Ancient Yoga

The rise started with the two Indian celebrated yogis, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and Sivananda. They established Hatha Yoga, the modern form of the practice that we know today. Krishnamacharya’s Mysore School of Hatha Yoga gave the world three leading yogis-B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar and K. Pattabhi Jois, men who have been responsible for the global ubiquity of yoga.

The virtues of yoga practice are slowly spreading all over the world. The fascination began in the 1940s, thanks to the efforts of Indra Devi or Eugenie Peterson. Peterson was an actor before she came in contact with Krishnamacharya and became one of his disciples-the first woman and foreigner to get the opportunity. After training for several years as his disciple, Devi travelled with the gospel of yoga to China and then to Hollywood. Indra Devi Often called the ‘First Lady of Yoga. Devi went where many others didn’t and attracted the West to this ancient practice by restructuring it to appeal to Western sensibilities.

The Significance Of June 21-International Yoga Day

June 21st, the day of uninterrupted summer, transforms the passage of the sun into the sky from north to south. The yogi and mystic, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, explains: “In yogic lore, the first transmission of yoga by Shiva. And the Adiyogi, to his seven disciples, the Saptarishis, said to initiated on the first full moon after the summer solstice, which celebrated as Guru Purnima. This period, known as Dakshinayana, hailed as the phase when there is natural support for those pursuing spiritual practices.

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