India: Kochi – Kerala Kathakali Performance

And last but not least for southern India is the absolutely surreal Kerala Kathakali Performance show. Kathakali is a classical dance-drama from Kerala, renowned for its vibrant costumes, intricate makeup, and expressive storytelling through dance, facial expressions, music, and gestures (and sore facial expression on top of all of it!). It’saccompanied by traditional instruments like the chenda, maddalam, and cymbals, with vocalists singing in Sanskritized Malayalam. The show begins with kelikottu (drums to gather the audience), followed by todayam (invoking divine blessings), and tiranokku (character introductions – this is also where the facial expressions are explained). The main play then unfolds and involves all characters. The origin of this goes back to the 17th century and it has evolved and been perfected over centuries. Mastering Kathakali takes 6–12 years, involving rigorous training in body control, facial expressions, and choreography. Totally amazing and bizarrely impressive and stunning!