Kutiyattam

The oldest surviving Sanskrit theatre, Kutiyattam, was conceived not for the entertainment of the masses. It took shape as a sacred ritual, performed within incense-swirled temple theatres where art became an offering to the divine. Staged only in the temple theatres known as Koothambalams, this classical Sanskrit drama was an art form reserved for performance by the Chakyar and Nambiar communities, with its scripts drawn from the grand Sanskrit repertoire. Over time, bound by caste and cloistered by exclusivity, this ancient tradition edged toward extinction.

Change, however, came in the mid-20th century. Kutiyattam stepped out of temple walls, its gestures and gazes no longer bound by gate or tradition, reaching new audiences through public performances and institutions like Kerala Kalamandalam. A turning point came in 1965, when Painkulam Rama Chakyar, the visionary who first dared to perform Kutiyattam outside the temple, joined Kalamandalam. Under his guidance, the art form nurtured a new generation of performers, breaking free from centuries of constraint. In 2001, its historical and performative value was globally recognised when UNESCO declared Kutiyattam an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.’

Kutiyattam is, at its core, an actor’s theatre. With the eyes and hands as primary instruments, performances develop with meditative precision. It takes a decade or more of rigorous, disciplined training to master the accuracy and grace this ancient form demands. A single moment is stretched and magnified with such nuance that one scene may take days to perform, while a full play can span up to forty nights.

Mohiniyattam

From the cultural renaissance in the 19th-century court of Travancore’s ruler, Swathi Thirunal developed Mohiniyattam, sculpted into Kerala’s most graceful expression of feminine devotion. It was traditionally performed by women costumed with the gold-rimmed white of Kerala’s kasavu, whose slow, sweeping movements narrate tales of love and longing. But foreign eyes failed to grasp its dignity. Under colonial scrutiny, Mohiniyattam was misread as seduction; its dancers were unfairly cast in shame, and the form teetered on the edge of disappearance.

When Kerala Kalamandalam was founded, reviving Mohiniyattam became one of its most tasked challenges. The revival began in 1950 when Thottassery Chinnammuamma agreed to teach at the institution. From there, a quiet restoration unfolded, with artists like Kalamandalam Satyabhama shaping its expression and scholars like Kilimangalam Vasudevan Nambudiripad anchoring it in tradition. In time, Mohiniyattam reclaimed its place as one of India’s most revered solo dance traditions.