Mesmerising !

Watching Kathakali (story play) performance - the native dance of Kerala - the God's own country, in India - can be an experience of a life time.

There are many tourist places in Kerala, where special shows of Kathakali are organised for people interested in art and culture of the state.

Having a leisurely holiday in Fort Kochi this December, I  also decided to experience it.

On the advice of our lovely host at the homestay, I booked the show.

While booking the tickets, my original thought was to give my friends from Europe, travelling with us, a surprise gift; and open a window for them from where they can get a glimpse of Indian culture.

However , it turned out to be a memorable experience for me as well.

The two and half hour show started with the make up art that plays a huge role in kathakali - a ballet dance form native to Kerala state.  

I always thought the Kathakali dancers wore huge colourful masks, but I was wrong. It is the intricately done make up that takes about two hours to metamorph the artistes and there are no masks.

Even the swollen jawline that gives the impression of a mask is arduously cut paper strips stuck to the jaw.

The colours used on artistes' faces are all organic derived from various stone that after rubbing on another stone produce colours such as red, yellow and black. 

Each colour has its own significance. Green denotes goodness, white simplicity, black demon, and so on.

Kathakali dance can be compared to ballet or opera in which the actors narrate a story. The training for the dance form is rigorous and goes on for at least six years before the artistes learns the art of talking without even opening their mouths.

Kathakali performer do not speak when performing but narrate the whole story through the gestures and expressions. 

The house was full and the make up was complete after about an hour. The men , yes the artistes are generally men , were ready in their new avataars. 

Then came the guru (master) who apprised us about the nuances of this age-old tradition of story telling. He familiarised the audience with the importance of eye movement in Kathakali and the gestures for different dialogues. 

One of the artistes came on the stage and demonstrated all those movements under the guidance of the guru. 

Finally , it was time for the performance. The intricate makeup and paint on their faces, huge and glittery headgears and dramatic frock style dress with tutu and layers of scarves around their neck created a enigmatic scenario on the stage.

Since the story acript had already been handed over to us, it was easy for novices like me to grasp the story.

The time flew - two and half hours were over without us realising it. We were all sitting mesmerised and in trance still trying to get the overwhelming experience seep in.

A few glimpses that I could catch are here to share the bewitching experience that I had.