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Kerala - God's own Country

Home >> About Kerala >> Arts and Culture of Kerala

Arts & Culture - Kerala 

Mohiniyattam

There is no precise historical evidence to establish the antiquity of Mohiniyatttam, the classical female dance-tradition of Kerala.  Probably it was evolved in the seventeenth century.  In the court of King Swathi 

Thirunal who ruled Travancore (South Kerala) in the 18th century,  Mohiniyattam  flourished along with Bharatanatyam, the classical dance of Tamil Nadu.  The post-Swathy period witnessed the downfall of Mohiniyattam.  'The dance of the enchantress' slipped into eroticism to satisfy the epicurean-life of some provincial satraps and feudal Lords.  Poet Vallathol rescued Mohiniyattam from total extinction.  It was added to the curriculum of Kalamandalam  at its very inception and within the past seven decades a number of prominent figures have emerged in the field, under its aegis,  giving shape to what has come to be known as the ‘kalamandalam style’.  

The make-up and costume of Mohiniyattam is simple and semi-realistic.  The dancer's face is made up of yellow and pink-paste.  She wears sandal colored, jerry - decorated  jacket and waist garment. .  Jasmin flowers adorn her tied up hair.  Her eyes are blackened with collirium and lips  reddened.  The theme of Mohiniyattam is, in general, devotional   love towards  God, the eternal lover.   Vishnu or Krishna is more often the hero.  We feel his invisible presence when the heroine or her companion (sakhi) describes him through graceful laasya (feminine) type of dance involving delicate  hand-gestures and   circular, wave like  body-movements.  In the slow and medium tempos the dancer finds adequate space for improvisations and suggestive facial expressions.  The invocation of Mohiniyattam is known as colkkettu. jatisvaram, varnam, padam and tillaana are the other items in a Mohiniyattam-recital. Varnam is the piece of de resistance in Mohiniyattam.  Tillaana unfolds to the audience the dancer's rhythmic virtuosity.  Padam focusses on abhinaya.  Mridamgam, Violin  and Edakka lend excellent support to the vocal music and to the visual rhythm of Mohiniyattam.

Like Mohiniyattam Bharatanatyam of Tamil Nadu and Kuchupudi of Andhra Pradesh are quite familiar to Keralites.  They enjoy watching these dance-forms.  Kalamandalam  offers training in Bharatanatyam and Kuchupudi as subsidiary subjects.

Arts & Dance - Kerala

Koodiyattam || Mohiniyattam || Velakali || Thiruvathirakali || Kaliyoottu

Kanniyarkali || Kavadiyattam || Kolkali || Kalaripayattu

  Bharathanatyam