KATHAKALI DANCE FORM OF KERALA, part 3 - CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

THIS POST IS CONTINUED FROM PART 2 , BELOW--


http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2017/04/kathakali-dance-form-of-kerala-part-2.html

Gestures are classified under three categories, viz., Prakritik (natural), Pratirupi (imitative) and Prasarit (amplified). The attributes of these are --

(1) "Natural" gestures are unconsciously produced when an actor is moved by some emotion.

(2) "Imitative" gestures represent or reproduce the form of an object in all its aspects objectively and symbolically.

(3) "Amplified" gestures are those which are formed by the elaboration of orthodox types of Tantric (ritualistic) symbols. Worship (aradhana), offering (dana) and benediction (varadari) are examples of this category of gestures.

These gestures are exhibited by three respective controlling agencies, viz., first, the face; second, the body (or limbs) ; and third, hand poses (mudras). Various facial expressions, which rise and fall with the human emotions, are naturalised in the dance language; but in the case of the body movements, a conscious effort is made to imitate a characteristic attribute of a role-type

The head manifests emotions and comprises the actions of the neck, eyes, eye-lids, pupils of the eye, eye-brows, lips, teeth, nose, ears, chin, cheek, and tongue. The movement of the limbs comprises the movement of the feet, heels, ankle, toes, waist, sides and, in fact, of all the movable and flexible parts of the body.

In some measure it can be said that Kathakali postures fall within three categories impressionist, expressionist and descriptive.

Where abstract ideas are to be projected, the physical attitudes are impressionist as conceived by the great masters. Objects portrayed in Kathakali are transcribed into an appropriate expressive posture which picturise them.

But where objects or situations lend themselves into narrative sequences, the Kathakali actor employs descriptive postures. These largely constitute a quilt of gestural fragments consolidated into one.

If angikabhinaya is the skeleton of Indian dancing, sattvikabhinaya is the life-force.

It is the latter action which enlivens a performance. Solely associated with the actions of the eyes, and supplemented, where necessary, by the actions of the other minor limbs (pratyangas), emotional experiences are delineated with a force that has often re-written the history of Kathakali.

Sattvikabhinaya represents a part of a specific tool for conveyance of meanings and emotions towards the spectator, called abhinaya. Its usage refers first to Sanskrit stage play and subsequently to its successors.  The word abhinaya itself, unlike the terms “acting” and “histrionics” , used in the Western theater, does not imply “action” in its semantics. 

The literal meaning of abhinaya is “leading the audience towards objects, meanings, sentiments, emotions”.

Angikabhinaya – stage acting through the body parts, used for signification of meanings and manifestation of inner emotions so that they become perceptible;

Vachikabhinaya – the verbal aspect of acting;

Aharyabhinaya – costumes, make-up, decorations, weapons and other props.

Sattvikabhinaya on its turn is the tool for stage presentation of sattvika bhava – the eight natural emotional states described by Bharata as involuntary, unintentional and rooted in the [actor’s] temperament.

Abhinaya in a broader sense is every vehicle of stage communication that validates the rasa production process, involves the spectator to paricipate in it and finally makes him to relish its fruitage.

Natyashastra lists 49 mental states (bhava) classified into three separate categories:--

Sthaibhava (8) – permanent emotional dispositions or sentiments. These are considered innate permanent mental traces and able to transform other emotions into themselves.

Vyabhicharibhava (33) – transitory states. These are not innate, they give rise to permanent emotions and disappear after the permanent emotions show up. It is suggested that transitory emotions represent the day-to-day normal life where similar emotions are expressed and experienced in changing situations.

Sattvikabhava (8) – autonomic responses.

Only the eight major states (sthaibhava) hold the potential to develop into rasa and each of them corresponds to a certain rasa.

According to Natyashastra rasa or sentiment‘ is the mental condition of delectation produced in the spectator of a play or in the hearer or the reader of poem, as the inevitable reaction of the bhavas or emotions manifested by the characters

No one word or phrase is adequate to convey the total meaning of rasa. Rasa is the impression created on the mind of the sympathetic audience by the expression of bhavas or emotions‘ and is an experience the individual is subjected to on account of this expression. 

Bhava is the emotion that creates a sense of enjoyment or experience which in itself is an entity and that enjoyment or experience is rasa.

If rasa is the purpose of Kathakali then the tool, which is utilized to bring about rasa, is abhinaya.

The word abhinaya means that which brings the thing to the spectator, or the different ways in which the actor brings the play with its meaning and feelings to the spectator.

Angikabhinaya can be executed in three chief ways, namely, sarira which means acting by means of limbs, mukhaja, acting by means of face and cestakrta that is acting by means of the movements of whole body

 In sarirabhinaya, the different kinds of the movements of the chest, the sides, the waist, the abdomen, the thighs, the shanks and the feet are defined and Bharata also indicates the occasions for their use. 

These actions are to be employed during the representations of the various roles as necessitated by the situation. 

The movements of the chest, the sides, the waist, the thighs, the shanks and the feet are of five types each. The movements of the abdomen are of three types.

Mukhaja represents, head, face and neck of the human body. There are thirteen types of the movements of the head each depending on the direction in which the head is moved, the degree of its movement as well as how quickly the movement is made. 

The eyes play the most important role with regard to the expressions of feelings and emotions. In a dramatic performance, all the bhavas and the rasas are expressed through the eyes.

The bhava is first indicated by eyes and then represented by limbs.  

Natyashastra mentions thirty–six different types of dristis or ‗eye-movements‘ in his Natyasastra . 

Eight of them known as rasadristis correspond to the eight sentiments, and another group of eight called sthayi-dristis represent the eight sthayi-bhavas and the remaining twenty eye movements known as sancari-dristis are related to the depiction of the vyabhicari-bhavas. Another detail is regarding the movements of the pupils of the eye, which are nine.

 The modes of glances are eight. Yet another detail is related to the movements of the eye lashes, which are nine.

The movements of the eyebrows are of seven types. The movements of the nose, cheeks and of the lips are of six kinds. The movement of the chin is of seven types. The mukhakarma which denotes the actions of the face are of six varieties. The actions of the neck are of nine types.

They are thirty-two in total, out of which, the first sixteen belongs to the earth and the next sixteen to the sky. There are six sthanas or stances to be resorted to by men while engaging in conversation, expressing certain sentiments etc. 

All this artificial gesticulation and stylish body language transforms any emotion into a beautiful kinetic form which takes natya into the realm of fantasy, helping the process of rasanubhava that is the aesthetic flavour of the universalized emotion to be experienced by the spectators through the art of theatre.

The dialogue of a Sanskrit play has a number of functions. Apart from carrying forward the theme, it always lays the setting and describes feelings and emotions of the characters. 

In the course of a play, minute incidents not required for action, certain details that are not physically present or rather not necessarily required on the stage, what is to be known and only be heard by audience, parts of the story that have happened between two scenes or acts, confidential speech between characters; all of these were conveyed to the audience with the help of various conversational techniques. 

Some of those devices are prakasa (aloud) that is what is to be heard by all, svagata or atmagata (aside) that is what is not to be heard by all, janantika, ( personal address) that is mutual conversation in the presence of other persons by shutting out the others in the middle of a story by the hand with three fingers raised, tripataka in which the ring finger is bent down, the thumb slightly curved inward, and the other fingers are outstretched and apavarita ( confidence) that is a secret told by one actor to  the another by turning around towards the character that is to hear the secret.

Human behaviour is molded mostly by reactions of the mind expressed through the face, words and the body. These three aspects have become the three abhinayas—sattvika, vacika and angika in drama.

According to Natyashastra a drama is considered to be of superior quality if sattvikabhinaya predominates. If it has an equal share with other types of abhinaya, then such a drama is considered to be of ordinary class. And, where the other types of abhinaya have a major role to play, collectively or severally, that drama is considered to be an inferior type.

It  is the antique grandeur of the ancient Kathakali   that has amazed people world wide  . 

Indeed  Natyasastra penned down 7000 years ago, in Sanskrit verses , is a colossal work on dramatic art and technique –when the white man was doing GRUNT GRUNT for language

In drama  emotions and feelings can be represented only by the characters and their stage actions. In  real life an emotion is generated through certain stimuli – either material, existing in the environment or imaginative, existing in consciousness.

These incentives (reasons), which elicit or accelerate a physiological or psychological activity or response, are called vibhava. The term is also understood as “determinant” since vibhava, through inciting the character to undertake certain action, determine the emotions and feelings evoked in the recipient.

Natyyashastra classifies vibghava into two categories:  alambana vibhava (supporting) – the objects, characters and props, through which the emotion is suggested and uddipana vibhava (stimulating) – the particular stimuli conditioning the elaboration of sthaibhava.

The action performed as a result of the commanding emotion, is known as anubhava. What is represented by anubhava is directly perceived by the spectator and allow him immerse in the emotion evoked.

Anubhava can be either intentional – looks, gestures, body postures etc.), or involuntary – sattvikabhava. The unintentional anubhava are closely related to the feelings and emotions as their consorts. Therefore they possess dualistic nature and can function either as anubhava or as vyabhicharibhava.

THIS BLOSSITE ASKS MODI GOVT TO DEVELOP KATHAKALI TOURISM IN INDIA --



NO PRETENDERS PLEASE ---  JEWESS LEELA SAMSON CANT DANCE !

The eight involuntary mental states, thoroughly described in Natyashastra, are paralysis (stambha), sweating (sveda), bristling (romancha), change of voice (svarabheda), change of skin color (vaivarnya), trembling (vepathu), crying (ashru) and fainting (pralaya).

the source of these conditions is the mind in state of concentration. Therefore, in his words, they cannot be properly represented by a distracted person. Since sattvikabhava functions in a stage production with the sole purpose of character’s credible portrayal, the actor must feel joy in order to to represent happiness, he must be sad to represent sorrow and so on.

He must be IN THE FLOW nay  IN THE ZONE

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2011/02/in-flow-capt-ajit-vadakayil.html

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2010/12/in-zone-capt-ajit-vadakayil.html

To look authentic on stage, these eight sudden urges of emotion should be represented in concordance with the temperament behind them. Therefore their stage presentation relies not only on the way the actor performs, but also on his distinguishing mental and physical characteristics, on his manner of thinking, behaving or reacting.

 In this process the actor’s unique life experience is also to be employed to the full: while acting, many times he needs to create the impression of seeing or touching objects which are not real.

To do so he must imagine and make his own senses as though the stimuli were real. The actor must remember his own life reactions in order to train his senses to respond to imaginary objects and create an emotional reaction to what he imagines.

According to Natyashastra the eight sattvikabhava occur for certain reasons and shall be represented on stage through fixed actions.

 In terms of modern psychology emotion is a term expressing the mental state of the individual, influenced by different actors and circumstances. Emotion can have a positive (joy, lyrical) or negative (distress, sadness) valency, but can also be a state of indifference (apathy, carelessness, indifferent).

Emotion is a complex process associated with the internal states of the body and is manifested in the individual's behavior, which is its external observable side. Emotions can vary in intensity, also called force. The stronger the emotion, the stronger is the physiological manifestation.

The intensity of emotion in each case is generally affected by many factors like completeness and integrity of the central nervous system and autonomic nervous system. In everyday life the term “emotion” is used as a synonym for feeling, but from psychological point of view they differ.

Emotion is highly intensive state of powerful and short agitation, temporary and relatively short mental state while feeling can be sustained, long-term mental subjective-evaluative attitude towards a particular subject or object. Emotions differ in content and reflect various aspects of situations causing them.

There are dozens of different emotions and the negative ones are significantly more than the positive. Any kind of emotion is accompanied by specific physiological response.

Mood is a relatively long-term emotional state. Moods are different from the simple emotions that are less specific, less intense and less likely to be caused and the induced by a specific stimulus or event. For example, anger as an emotion usually has a specific source, while irritability mood is less determined by the particular cause or source.

Moods have a positive or negative valence. They differ from temperament or personality traits, which are naturally more durable. At the same time, some personal characteristics such as optimism and neuroticism predispose certain types of moods.

Temperament on the other hand is a combination of stable individual psychological characteristics, determining the dynamics of the psychic activity of man and remaining relatively constant at different motives, content and objectives of the activity.

Emotion is associated with a number of psychological phenomena, including temperament, personality, mood and motivation. Emotions are either signaled, for example, through the voice and facial expressions or may be expressed by certain physiological reactions or behaviors.

The eight basic emotions are joy, fear, anger, grief, love, disgust, surprise and contempt. In addition to the basic emotions there are complex categories in which certain emotions are combined to form complex emotions. One model involves complex emotions arising from the basic emotions, influenced by cultural conventions or associations.

Theree are also meta-emotions - organized and structured set of emotions and cognitions about emotions, including both the individual's own emotions and the emotions of others. The concept of meta-emotions reflects the idea that every time you generate a certain emotion it stirs subsequent emotions associated with the way in which the primary emotion is experienced.

Emotion is a complex psychological condition that includes three main components: subjective experience, physiological reactions and behavioral responses

Again, Natyashastra says  that sattvikabhinaya is the most important mode of expression.  A play is  supreme if it contains sattvikabhinaya, of medium quality if it contains it to some extent and of low quality if satvikabhinaya is at all absent.

To enact sattvikabhava on stage the actor should be in state of high concentration, becoming mentally engaged in the extreme emotion situation, to experience it to such an extent, that it cause his temper to manifest accordingly by specific physiological reactions. 

This is the reason why in Kathakali the dancer does NOT speak. He does not follow the music, the music follows him.   Kathakali hence cannot have music from tape recorders

A Tala  literally means a "clap, tapping one's hand on one's arm, a musical measure" It is the term used in Indian classical music to refer to musical meter that is any rhythmic beat or strike that measures musical time

The measure is typically established by hand clapping, waving, touching fingers on thigh or the other hand, verbally, striking of small cymbals, or a percussion instrument

Along with raga which forms the fabric of a melodic structure, the tala forms the time cycle and thereby constitutes one of the two foundational elements of Kathakali

A tala in Indian music covers "the whole subject of musical meter". Indian music is composed and performed in a metrical framework, a structure of beats that is a tala. The tala forms the metrical structure that repeats, in a cyclical harmony, from the start to end of any particular song or dance segment,

A tala measures musical time in Indian music. However, it does not imply a regular repeating accent pattern, instead its hierarchical arrangement depends on how the musical piece is supposed to performed.  

A metric cycle of a tala contains a specific number of beats, which can be as short as 3 beats or as long as 128 beats.

 The pattern repeats, but the play of accent and empty beats are an integral part of Indian music architecture. Each tala has subunits. In other words, the larger cyclic tala pattern has embedded smaller cyclic patterns, and both of these rhythmic patterns provide the musician and the audience to experience the play of harmonious and discordant patterns at two planes. 

A musician can choose to intentionally challenge a pattern at the subunit level by contradicting the tala, explore the pattern in exciting ways, then bring the music and audience experience back to the fundamental pattern of cyclical beats.

The tala as the time cycle, and the raga as the melodic framework, are the two foundational elements of classical Indian music. The raga gives an artist the ingredients palette to build the melody from sounds, while the tala provides her with a creative framework for rhythmic improvisation using time.

The Vedas and the Natyashastra were transmitted orally for 330 centuries before being penned down 70 centuries ago. Not a syllable of tome was missed, . This is the greatest feat of man.  

The need to develop mathematically precise musical meters is  driven by the Indian use of oral tradition for transmitting vast amounts of Vedic literature. 

Deeply and systematically embedded structure and meters  have enabled the ancient Indians a means to detect and correct any errors of memory or oral transmission from one person or generation to the next.

The Samaveda  included a system of chironomy, or hand signals to set the recital speed. These were mudras (finger and palm postures) and jatis (finger counts of the beat), a system at the foundation of talas.

 The chants in the Vedic recital text, associated with rituals, are presented to be measured in matras and its multiples in the invariant ratio of 1:2:3. This system is also the basis of every tala

the idiophone in the form of "small bronze cymbals" were used for tala. Almost the entire chapter of Natyashastra on idiophones,

Each tala is divided in two ways to perfect the musical performance, one is called kala (kind) and the other gati (pulse). A tala does not have a fixed tempo (laya) and can be played at different speeds

The basic structure of the music in Kerala is really unique and it has even contributed few ragas which are only seen in the ritual music of the state.

Tyanis are short songs sung standing on the Sopana of a temple with the accompaniment of Idaikka. This is called Kottipadi seva or in general term Sopana Sangitha.

There are many Dhyana Slokas in Sanskrit associated to different Devi and Devas. The songs composed in the style of these Dhyana Slokas in Malayalam came to be called as Tyanis. 

The Dhyana Slokas in Sanskrit are composed in accordance to the Tantric rituals. So Tyanis were composed in place of these Dhyana Slokas so as to sing to the accompaniment of ritualistic accompaniments.

  

 Tyanis are composed in four couplets. There are Tyanis in praise of each and every important deities worshipped in the temples of Kerala. Tyanis usually don’t have the sections like Pallavi, Anupallavi and Charanam. From the lyrics of Tyanis one can make out to which place does the temple belong. 

Also there are tyanis for different  manifestations of the deity, for instance, there are separate Tyanis for Vishnu, Padmanabha, and Krishna eventhough they are one. There are Tyanis based on the origin of the temple and also about the peculiarities of the presiding deity of the temple.

 Tyanis are usually composed in ragas. There are certain ragas prescribed for singing the Tyanis known as Nidana ragas. Time for singing these ragas are strictly followed. There are specific ragas for Tyanis that is to be sung for various Poojas. The main ragas in which the Tyanis are sung are Desakshi, Srikanti, Nalattha, Malahari, Ahiri, Bhupali, Samantha Malahari, Natta, Andhari, Puraniru and Andhali.

Kerala’s greatest contribution to the world of music is its intricate and complex talas and of course tala Vadyas. . Thus talas of Kerala can be classified into;---

A] Those used in the temple rituals of Kerala

B] Those figuring in the ensembles performed during temple festivals or Utsavas of Kerala.

C] Those employed in the music that accompanies the dance and traditional theatrical performances.

Kshethra talas or talas used in the temple rituals of Kerala.

In each temple, for each ritual specific talas are prescribed to be played on a group of instruments such as Idakka, Timila , Maddalam, Maram, Chenda Ilathalam etc. this is a very old tradition and still followed with great devotion and austerity

There are talas specified for each deities, Balipeetas, corners, places and Pradakshinas. Some talas are also found prescribed for more than one deity and occasion. There are about 11 such talas followed in temple rituals.

Ekam--The old name for this tala is Ekaputam. It consists of one Anga and one Matra.ie.4 aksharakalas.

Randam talam--- Randam talam consists of one Laghu and Guru, thus total Matras 3 ie.12 aksharakalas,

Moonnaam talam--- This talam consists of Plutam, Guru and Guru, total Matras being 7, 28 aksharakalas..

Nalaam talam--- Nalaam talam has 8 Matras, 32 aksharakalas and its constituent Angas are Plutam, Laghu, Guru and Guru.

Anchaam talam--- This consists of Plutam, Laghu, Laghu, Guru and Guru, so total Matras 9 ie.36 aksharakalas . Among these the first Anga Laghu is silent.

Sambhu talam---- Sambhu talam of 3 Matras,12 aksharakalas, is used in the third Purapradakshinam.

Mangala talam--- This prominent talam consists of Guru, Laghu and Laghu comprising 4 Matras,16 aksharakalas. It is played for Digbali at the north-east corner.

Sakatu talam---- Sakatu talam consists of Laghu, Laghu and Guru of 4 Matras,16 aksharakalas . It is used in the outer Pradakshinam.

Mutakku talam---  The Angas of Mutakku talam are Guru, Laghu and Guru, Matras will be five. So aksharakalas will be Twenty.

Takatu talam--- Takatu talam is 9 Matras,36 aksharakalas. Its constituent Angas are Plutam, Laghu, Laghu, Guru and Guru. In this talam also first Laghu is silent.

Kaarika talam--- Kaarika talam consists of the Angas Laghu, Laghu, Laghu and guru of 5 Matras ie 20 aksharakalas. This is played during Digbalis at four main quarters.

Shatkalam or playing in 6 speeds is a common feature followed in Kerala ensembles. The starting tempo of a Melom will be Pati Kalam-Ati Ati Vilamba Kalam having duration of 32 Akshara Kalas.

There are artists who can easily play all the 6 Kalas. 

While performing a Tayampaka or Chenta Melom the exact doubling of the tempo is not followed. Here gradual progression of the tempo is followed. The speed variations are done to show the skill of the players and to overcome monotony.

 In Kathakali  generally five main varieties of talas are used. They consist of  eight, ten, fourteen, seven or six intervals. The following are the  chief and popular talas used therein : ---

1 Kalah kriya parichinna tala shabdeh na bhadyateh.

Adi or Chempata, Champa or Jumpa, Atanta or Ata.

Tripata or Muriatanta, and Panchari or Roopaka.

Their swaroop or description is as follows : --

Adi : consists of eight intervals. It has three beats and two waves (i.e., leaves). This whole in Western terminology may be said as eight crotchets in three bars.

Champta : has 10 intervals with three beats and one let off.

This is quavers in three bars.

The tala with 14 intervals and four strokes and two leaves is termed as Atanta.

Tripata consists of seven intervals with stroke divisions on the first, fourth, and sixth and leaves on the fifth and seventh.

Panchari tala has six intervals. Beats fall on the first and fifth interval, while the leave is given on the sixth interval

Kathakali has seven items to act upon. They are:

1 Todayam (basic dance)

2 Purappadu (debut of the main character)

3 Tiranokku (curtain look by evil characters or demons)

4 Kummi (preamble for the female character’s appearance)

5 Kathakali (the main play)

6 Kalaasam (passage of hyped dance as hyphen between two pieces of verse play)

7 Samaapanam (concluding benediction dance)

Below: Thodayam ( behind curtain )

Below- Purappadu 

Below: Kummi-- a preamble of female characters appearance. In Kummithe movements and gestures are not rigid. Gentleness and mildness with slow paces are Kummi’s specialties.

Below: Thiranokku by the evil character

Below- Kalasam -interlude , a deliberate break of narrative, an alienation method to break the audience out of their spell and become aware of themselves-- this is pure nritta /dance ( not acting ) in thandava style 

TODAY TO SABOTAGE KATHAKALI FOREIGN FUNDED CHRISTIAN NGOs DRESS UP PRETENDERS , WHO WRIGGLE THEIR EYEBROWS , DO SOME MINDLESS FINGER MOVEMENTS , BANG THEIR LEGS  -- ACCOMPANIED BY MUSIC FROM ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTS 

ONCE YOU SEE THIS MINDLESS NONSENSE,  YOU WILL NEVER GO FOR ANOTHER KATHAKALI RECITAL   ..

GRACEFUL TALENTED MOHINIYATTAM DANCERS WERE CALLED TEMPLES WHORES BY THE WHITE MAN AND THIS DANCE WAS BANNED BY A GOVT ACT -- 

BUT HEY, MILEY RAY CYRUS,  MADONNA,  LADY GAGA AND THEIR ILK SHOWING THEIR TITS,  TWATS AND UNWASHED ASSHOLE ON STAGE IS INGICREW ( IN THE GROOVE ) ?

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2014/07/kamasutra-by-vatsayana-immoral-sexual.html

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2014/02/devadasi-system-immoral-lie-of-temple.html

SHIVA THE COSMIC DANCER , WAS BRANDED A SEXUAL PREDATOR AND A CORPSE EATER... 

RIGHT NOW THERE IS ONE US CNN TV PRESENTER , AN IRANIAN JEW NAMED REZA ASLAN WHO IS DOING THIS PROPAGANDA.    

http://rightlog.in/2017/03/reza-aslan-cnn-attack-hinduism-together/

IF I WERE MODI-- I WOULD BAN CNN FROM INDIA AND ARREST REZA AZLAN THE MOMENT HE COMES TO INDIA

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2014/09/aghoris-corpse-eaters-of-india-capt.html

TILL THE WHITE INVADER CAME TO INDIA, WE NEVER HEARD OF AGHORIS. 

INDIANS WERE VEGANS, LEAVE ALONE EATING DEAD HUMAN CORPSES OR THROWING MENSES BLOOD AND ANIMAL BLOOD ON THE IDOL OF THE GOD IN TEMPLES

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2014/11/all-animal-sacrifices-in-hindu-temples.html

The Sanskrit word "bhAAva" means "emotion, sentiment, state of body or mind, disposition", while "bhava"  means "being, worldly existence, becoming, birth, be, production, origin".

The former term is rooted in latter, and in some context also means "becoming, being, existing, occurring, appearance" while connoting the condition thereof.

śāntabhāva, the calm, peaceful, gentle or saintly attitude

dāsyabhāva, the attitude of devotion

sakhyabhāva, the attitude of a friend

vātsalyabhāva, the attitude of a mother towards her child

madhurabhāva (or kantabhava), the attitude of a woman in love

tanmayabhava, the attitude that the Lord is present everywhere

The human body is made up of minute anatomical units which function individually or in combination with other parts. The muscles play an important part in Kathakali and the movements of the facial muscles are a most significant part of a dancer's training. 

The geometrical pattern which the dancer follows may be described as RECTANGLE , with the dancer standing with book feet apart, knees turned out and the outer soles of the feet touching the ground. This position may be identified as the mandala sthana  shown on the THIRASHEELA .  The dancer covers space also in patterns of rectangles. 

The right foot meets the left and one side of the rectangle. The dancer moves forward to the third corner of the rectangle and then back to the second corner and finally comes back to the first corner but only touching all four points. With his arms and hands, the dancer covers space usually in figures of rectangles or clearly drawn diagonals along these rectangles. 

Occasionally the hands execute figures of eight and the eyes follow, but the movement sequence always limits imaginary geometric pattern. The KNEES are always turned OUT and there is invariably space of two to three feet between the feet. 

The torso is used as one unit or occasionally, two i.e. the upper and lower torso. Jumps, spirals, sweeps and leaps are characteristic. Leg extensions are clear and the weight must be shifted from one foot to the other in these extensions with ease. 

It is an essential part of the dancers training to learn how to use each facial muscle separately. The movement of the eyebrows, the eyeballs and the lower eyelids described in Natyasastra are not used to such an extent in any other dance style of India.

In the nritta portions of Kathakali, the dancer executes leg-extensions and jumps still covering space in a series of rectangles to a given time cycle (tala).   The units of the nritta portions are the Kalasams.  In Kathakali these cadences of dance patterns culminate in compositions known as araddis which are usually multiples of three. 

Other types of nritta sequences, based on different ways of manipulating the rhythm, are known as the adakams and the tomakarams. The pure nritta technique appears in the repertoire mostly as a prelude to the dance-dramas. 

The todayam and the purappadu may be described as typical nritta numbers. In both, the dancer begins the movement in the slow tempo of the basic metrical cycle and then to the mnemonics of the mandalam and the chenda, executes the nritta patterns. The hand or arm gestures here are few and usually only variations between the alapadma and the hamsasya.

The abhinaya technique of Kathakali has such variety and flexibility that it allows the dancer actor to treat his theme or his character in many ways apart from the possibility of improvising or taking off on the sung words or dancing the words  

There is always the possibility of some interpolated passages through  mime. Here the Kathakali actor has the fullest freedom, he follows no text and he can improvise to his heart's content. He follows NO beat, rather the follows him.  

This is known as the manodharma of the actor. He must keep to the basic character which he is portraying. He must create that dominant mood whether it is of love or humour, compassion or disgust or tranquility. The play actor is king.

Kathakali actor uses the hastas, i.e. the hands and the eyes as his most important instruments of communication never forgetting that these are used along with other micro movements of the face and the micro movements of the lower lower limbs and the torso. 

The Kathakali tradition of the hastas is different from that of the Natyasastra and the Abhinaya Darpana. The extended hand is called tripataka in the Kathakali tradition. 

The text followed by the Kathakali actor is the 'Hasta Lakshana Dipika' which described 24 basic hastas of single hands and an equal number of combined hands. Each hasta can be used in its permutation and combination with another hasta. 

It can be used at different levels, it can be used along with the movements of the arms and the eyes delicately or with energy or without. The Kathakali tradition has enlarged and elaborated the language of gesture.

SANATANA DHARMA IS ROOTED IN SHABDA ( SOUND )-YET WE HAVE CONVERTED SOUND INTO GEOMETRY AT WILL .  

THE EYE COULD SEE SOUND

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2013/04/kolam-designs-inaudible-mantras-vide.html

THE SRI YANTRA IS A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF HINDU KING MANTRA OM.  THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS BUILT BY AYYAPPA ( IMHOTEP ) IS OM .

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2016/12/108-numerical-equivalent-of-hindu-king.html

DUH ,


HOW CAN EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS BE OM?  

BATAAO NAH ?


INDEED IT IS !

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2016/10/eight-sided-pyramid-of-giza-egypt.html

The abhinaya is presented in three stages:

a) word to word synchronization (b) interpretation of the full line and (c) abhinaya of the dancer following the singer.

There is an aspect of abhinaya in Kathakali where the dancer uses the words of the line only as a starting point and improvises a full sequence of movements. Hand-gestures language is most significant here for the elaboration of the word. This position, known as CHOLLIYATTAM  is the final test of any great dancer's imaginative faculties. Although the line of poetry may only say that Bhima went through a forest the dancer is at full liberty to present the forest in all its beauty and splendour.

THE ITALIAN WAITRESS WOULD HAVE KILLED THE GANGA AND KATHAKALI .  

IT IS GOOD THAT SHE IS OUT OF POWER.

Abhinaya is seen in its manifestations of the Vyabhichari or the Sancharibhava. Here the main objective of the Kathakali dancer is  to evoke a particular dominant mood (sthayibahva). This he does by presenting variations on the same theme. In the abhinaya portions of Kathakali, the hastas assume prime importance.

Ashtakal asam, one among the Kalaasam, comprises of eight dance types in Kathakali performed to express the enormous joy of a character. The steps are composed in the ‘Champa’ rhythm and require great mastery for an artiste to perform. Each performance ends in Astakalaasam of huge movements, rhythm, orchestra, dance, music and moods.

Below: This may look like drama--   for Kalari is NOT a sport--

-- only one man will live to tell the story at the end of a fight--

--the real fight usually ends in seconds or couple of minutes .

In ancient days ALL repeat ALL  Kathakali dancers were Kalari male experts . 

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2011/12/kalaripayattu-oldest-and-deadliest.html

Below: This old Kerala woman got Padma award in 2017.    One of Kerala's greatest URUMI experts was a beautiful woman named Unniyarcha -- today she is stuff of lore and ballads

Below: Kalari stretched the ligaments of Kathakali dancers at a young age

THE MAGIC OF KATHAKALI LIES IN THE SINGLE FLICKERING LIGHT SOURCE OF AN OIL LAMP, WITH LIGHT CASTING UPWARD SHADOWS ON THE ACTORS.  

 THE AUDIENCE SITS IN DARKNESS.

IF THIS IS TAKEN AWAY THE SHOW IS AESTHETICALLY DEAD .

THE ACTOR USES THE WHITE BEARD BASE TO PLAY WITH SHADOWS ON HIS OWN FACE 

IN ART , THE MAGIC IS IN LIGHT SOURCING  --   A CAMERA FLASH PICTURE OF THE WOMAN BELOW WILL BE SHIT SHIT SHIT

There is NO other danceform on this planet other than Kathakali which dishes out a generous visual, audio and INTELLECTUAL extravaganza

Koodiyattam ( MUTHAPPAN THEYYAM ) , performed in North Kerala KAVU temples predated Kathakali , much before Natya Shastra was conceived --- this dance inspired the formation of Kathakali.

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2012/10/muthappan-deity-of-north-kerala-capt.html

Koodiyattam used Mizhavu ( a large pot ) for percussion.

Shiva’s damaru ( knotted cords ) was played. Indeed in anient days there could be no Sopanam without Shiva’s Damaru which beat Sanskrit language and 54 alphabets into existence .  

Malayalam too has 54 alphabets. In Shiva Shakti format is gives the magic number of 108

This is now modified to be Edakka played with rolls of single stick .

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2014/04/shabda-brahman-beat-of-damarau-drum-of.html

Large Elanthalam were mighty cymbals. 

Shankh was blown ( related to Dhanwantari , God of Ayurveda who rose from the cosmic ocean after Samudramanthan )  which is NOT done in Kathakali.

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2013/03/secrets-of-shankh-or-conch-product-of.html

Below: CHOOTIYA white men claimed that Kathakali skirts were copied from skirts of Portuguese women--what do they know --we are talking about 33 milliniums here . Below Theyyam skirt being made 

Kathakali never used wind instruments. But Koodiyattam used an amazing double reed Kuzhal.

Today this form of dance using Sanskrit verses 100% is claimed by TAMIL PRIDE ( so what else is new ? )

It is officially recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Jew Rothschild’s agent Indian President Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan converted Koodiyattam into Rothschild’s play using all Rothschild’s FAKE DASA creations

My wife’s No 1 place of worship is Muthappan ( old form of Shiva ).   

She and my mother are from Kannur the fountainhead of Koodiyattam , the older form of Kathakali. 

SHAKTI ( Sankhya form of Shiva’s wife ) is worshipped in Muthappan temples. 

There are 108 major forms of Theyyam dance ( for snake groves ) and more than 500 minor forms

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2012/07/king-cobra-and-snake-temples-of-kerala.html

Kottiyoor temple , the oldest temple on the planet -- conducted Koodiyattam in ancient days .  Here the water flows in a mobius coil pattern generating a tremendous scalar field .   

In ancient days when Saraswati river lived (  before 4000 BC ) Varanasi ghats had this modius water flow with Saraswati river emerging from under the ground to join Ganga at the ghats .

 In those ancient days people from Kerala used to go to Kashi ( Benares / Varanasi) when they know they will die soon.  

The sons take the father there , do the anthim samskara ( last rites) and then come back

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2013/06/kottiyoor-temple-oldest-temple-and.html

Below: For my son's wedding we had Kuzhal-- the most ancient wind instrument on the planet-- divine strains  .

YOU MAY FORGET A KATHAKALI PERFORMANCE -

BUT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET A THEYYAM PERFORMANCE -- 

--- FOUNDED BY THIYYAs , THE ANCIENT RULING CLASS OF KERALA

-- THE SEA NAVIGATORS, THE REPOSITORY OF ALL ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PLANET , THE LAND OF SPICES, 

Below: Muthappan ( Shiva ) , wife SHAKTI  ( who form the six pointed star on union--stomen by Jews  ) and the TRINITY 

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2015/09/sanatana-dharma-hinduism-exhumed-and.html

Below: In Kerala we call Shiva's wife Bhagawati/ Devi/ Shakti

-- THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND FERTILE PART OF THE PLANET,  THE LAND OF AYURVEDA , THE LAND OF KALARI, 

THE LAND WHICH IN ANCIENT TIMES OF MAHABALI AND HIS FATHER VIROCHANA RULED THE WHOLE PLANET-- 

---THE LAND OF MATH , THE LAND WHICH SENT PROFESSORS ( NAMBOODIRIS SANSKRIT KNOWING THIYYAS ) TO ANCIENT INDIAN UNIVERSITIES-

-- TODAY THE ONLY PART OF THE PLANET WHICH HAS 100% LITERACY .

abcindiagogoApril 6, 2017 at 9:12 PM

Captain,

In all the Theyyam and Bhuta Kola videos,

The musicians are playing these fast Tabla/Drum beats.

Even sometimes there are other instruments - wind instruments.

But, here's the fun part.


There is no Director standing infront of them waving his hands in funny manner to make them aware what to play and what not to play.


Then, how are they able to collectively play such complex beats with such skill without any central figure ?

1. 
   Capt. Ajit VadakayilApril 6, 2017 at 9:40 PM

   EXACT SCIENCE DOES NOT NEED CONDUCTORS !
   
   MATH NEEDS NO CONDUCTORS..
   
   WHEN YOU HAVE A MUSIC CONDUCTOR THE MUSIC IS NOT PRECISE..

abcindiagogoApril 6, 2017 at 9:29 PM

Captain,

Is the Theyyam performer - possesed by the spirit of the God they are enacting ?

This is the case in Bhuta Kola.

But in some Theyyam videos, the performer behaves normally at one moment and then switches over to his more possessed form. Reverse also happens.

Both of this happens frequently.

1. 
   Capt. Ajit VadakayilApril 6, 2017 at 9:37 PM

   THEYYAM PERFORMERS ARE IN A TRANCE
   
   THEY QUOTE YOUR PAST--LOUDLY
   
   MANY FEMALES ARE AFRAID TO GO.. THEY HAVE SECRETS

According to the Rasa theory of the Natya Shastra, entertainment is a desired effect of performance arts but not the primary goal, and that the primary goal is to transport the individual in the audience into another parallel reality, full of wonder and bliss, where he experiences the essence of his own consciousness, and reflects on spiritual and moral questions

Performance arts, states Natyashastra, are a form of Vedic ritual ceremony (yajna). The "rasa theory" of Natyashastra, presumes that bliss is intrinsic and innate in man, it exists in oneself, that manifests non-materially through spiritual and personally subjective means. Performance arts aim to empower man to experience this rasa, or re-experience it. Actors aim to journey the spectator to this aesthetic experience within him.

When the literary focalisations are named as first person narration, second person narration and third person narration, the visual narration names it as external focalisation, internal focalisation and Zero focalisation. The external focalisation is the view point of a person outside the play. The soothrdhara of ancient Sanskrit plays can be categorized under external focalisation..

The internal focalisation is the perspective of a character. The character guides the story through his feelings and thoughts. It can be a soliloquy or an unspoken narration through his past. Zero focalisation gives a perspective of an omniscient narrator.

The Natya connects through abhinaya, that is applying body-speech-mind and scene, wherein asserts Natyashastra, the actors use two practices of dharmi (performance), in four styles and four regional variations, accompanied by song and music in a playhouse carefully designed to achieve siddhi (success in production).

The Natyashastra states that the playwright should know the bhavas (inner state of being) of all characters in the story, and it is these bhavas that the audience of that drama connects with. The hero is shown to be similar to everyone in some ways, trying to achieve the four goals of human life in Hindu philosophy, then the vastu (plot) emerges through the "representation of three worlds – the divine, the human, the demonic".

Drama has dharma, it has artha, it has kama, it has humor, fighting and killing. The best drama shows the good and the bad, actions and feelings, of each character, whether god or mandrama is that art which accepts human beings are in different inner states when they arrive as audience, then through the art performed.  

It provides enjoyment to those wanting pleasure, solace to those in grief, calmness to those who are worried, energy to those who are brave, courage to those who are cowards, eroticism to those who want company, enjoyment to those who are rich, knowledge to those who are uneducated, wisdom to those who are educated. 

Drama represents the truths about life and worlds, through emotions and circumstances, to deliver entertainment, but more importantly ethos, questions, peace and happiness.

The text discusses the dominant, transitory and temperamental states, for dramatic arts, and the means that an artist can use to express these states

The Natyasastra describes the stage for performance arts as the sacred space for artists, and discusses the specifics of stage design, positioning the actors, the relative locations, movement on stage, entrance and exit, change in background, transition, objects displayed on the stage, and such architectural features of a theatre; the text asserts that these aspects help the audience get absorbed in the drama as well as understand the message and the meaning being communicated

Indian art evolved with an emphasis on inducing special spiritual or philosophical states in the audience, or with representing them symbolically.

Eyes and the gestures with eyes are a very important part of Kathakali. Within the series of eye movements, eight kinds of movements are important: after each exercise, the eye focuses on one point, cutting itself off the environment. Over time, the calm interval gradually turns into a means of meditation.

When chenda leaves areas of pause in percussion, the the slack is picked up by maddalam, which also synchronises the pitch.

Kathakali performers with their heavy, stylized makeup, complemented by elaborate costumes and opulent head dresses, make a striking psychological impression on the viewer.  Therein lies the magic.

Each character’s every emotion is expressed on the face with an intense, stylized vividness, in harmony with the rhythm of the dance and melody of the music. The actors not only express the subjective emotions of the human heart, but give objective impersonations of the characters, scenes, creatures and surroundings.

GaneshApril 7, 2017 at 10:21 AM

Hello Capt.

Glad that you have decided to talk about Rothschild created Gurus and Gods to clear my doubts. Now coming to Ramanujas and his philosophy.

YOU HAVE MENTIONED RAMANUJA WEDGED VAISHNAVAS OUT OF HINDUISM ? PLS THROW MORE LIGHT ON THIS TOPIC.

NOW COMING TO WHAT VAISHNAVAS ARE TALKING ABOUT ADVAITA VEDANTA ->

I am giving source reference and content. Pls answer

Check link below and be surprised.

1. http://www.srivaishnavam.com/faq.html#7

7.It is said that Vishishtadvaita is also an advaita. What is the difference between Vishishtadvaita and Advaita?

Advaita and Vishishtadvaita have no connection at all. Advaita is implicit atheism. Advaita is called as “Prachanna Bowdhdam”. Advaita is based only on a personal interpretation of Abheda-sruthi. In Advaita, Brahman is the only knowledge-self reality and is without any attributes. The three types of differences namely difference in individuality, difference in types and differences in its integral parts are not in Brahman. Nothing other than this Brahman is reality. Though the Brahman is eternally free and only knowledge self, it gets obstructed/covered by ignorance and without realizing itself as Brahman (as told above) becomes to realize itself wrongly as Jeevaatman and gets bound in the material universe which is not a reality.

Capt. Ajit VadakayilApril 7, 2017 at 10:33 AM
LISTEN

I DONT HAVE THE TIME TO ARGUE OVER SHIT

THIS BLOG BELOW DESCRIBES DVAITA VEDANTA 

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2013/05/dvaita-vedanta-of-sanatana-dharma-or.html

NOW THAT YOU KNOW WHAT DVAITA VEDANTA IS

READ THE BULLSHIT OF FAKE AND BACKDATED CREATION OF JEW ROTHSCHILD MADHAVACHARYA , WHO ROTHSCHILDs HISTORIANS SAY IS THE CREATOR OF DVAITA VEDANTA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhvacharya

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvaita

WHAT NONSENSE IS THIS ? -- IT IS MADNESS !!

WHY DID I START THIS BLOGSITE ? TO DELETE ALL MADNESS AND POISON INJECTED INTO OUR VEDAS

capt ajit vadakayil
..

THIS POST NOW CONTINUES TO PART 4 BELOW--

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.com/2017/04/kathakali-dance-form-of-kerala-part-4.html

CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL
..