How many mudras are there in Kathakali?
There are 24 main mudras, and numerous more minor ones in Kathakali. There are nine facial expressions called Navarasas, which each actor masters through facial muscle control during his education, in order to express the emotional state of the character in the play.
What is Mudra in Kathakali?
There are 24 Basic Mudras (hand gestures) in the “Hasthalakshana Deepika”, the book of hand gestures, which Kathakali is followed. There are ‘Asamyutha Mudras’ (that is shown using single hand) and ‘Samyutha Mudras’ (mudras shown in double hands) in each Basic Mudras, to show different symbols.
Why are the mudras used in Kathakali?
Actors do not speak or sing, but enact dialogic sections called padams through mudras (hand gestures and facial expressions. There are 24 mudras in Kathakali which express the nine rasas or emotions viz., serenity, wonder, kindness, love, valour, fear, contempt, loathing and anger.
What is Kari in Kathakali?
Kari is the name of a make-up in Kathakali. It literally means black and is donned by cruel characters. Characters in Kari are further classified into two according to the gender; Aankari (male) and Penkari (female). The Kaattalan (forest dweller) in Nalacharita is an example of the Aankari character.
How many types of mudra are there?
Mudras have been an integral part of many Hindu and Buddhist rituals. They are used extensively in Yoga, meditation and dance. Across various disciplines it is said that there exist close to 399 mudras.
How many hand gestures are there in Kathakali?
24 classes
There are 24 classes of hand gestures that are used to convey the story by the performer in Kathakali.
How many mudras are there in Bharatanatyam?
In Bharatanatyam, the Classical Dance of India performed by Lord Nataraja, approximately fifty-five nine root mudras (hand/finger gestures) are used to clearly communicate specific ideas, events, actions, or creatures in which thirty-two require only one hand, and are classified as `Asamyuktanamasa Hasta’, along with …
What are the 7 types of stage makeup in Kathakali?
There are seven basic makeup styles used in Kathakali, namely Pacha (green), Pazhuppu (ripe), Kathi (knife), Kari (black face), Thadi (beard), Minukku (lady) and Teppu. These vary with styles, colors, and the ingredients used.
What is Minukku in Kathakali?
Description. Minukku is a type of make up style. There are various types of characters present in Kathakali. The make-up used for gentle characters is ‘Minukku’. It allows the audience to differentiate among characters.
What is chutti in Kathakali?
The ‘Chutti’ or white make-up plays a very important role in Kathakali make-up. In the olden days, the chutti was laid, layer after layer with a mixture of rice paste and lime. It used to take about three to four hours to get an actor’s ‘Chutti’ done. Today, the base is laid with a paste and the rest made of paper.
What are the three types of Kathakali performers?
The stories are told by three groups of performers: the actors (who do not speak), the percussionists, and the vocalists. Traditionally, the actors were all males, but that has evolved so that both men and women can perform the Kathakali dance.