Kutiyattam- Balivadham

Kutiyattam, the Sanskrit theatre of Kerala is two millennia old, and can arguably claim the greatest antiquity in terms of international theatrical history. In 2001, UNESCO proclaimed Kutiyattam as one of the ‘Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’. This nomination has immensely helped the art form in gaining worldwide recognition.

Story
Presented here is an excerpt from Balivadham (The Killing of Bali), a significant part of Ramayana, the great Indian epic. Bali is the King of Kishkinta, the land of monkey men. He has a misunderstanding with his brother Sugriva. Sugriva meets Rama, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Rama agrees to help Sugriva in the fight against Bali. In the end of the story Bali is killed by Rama.

Artistes
Performing here are Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri (Bali), Margi Sajeev Narayana Chakyar (Sugriva), Kalamandalam Raveendran (Lord Rama) and Kalamandalam Kanaka Kumar (Lord Lakshmana).