Bhoomi at Malayalam Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons |
Enactment of Kauravas inviting Pandavas for a game of dice (from epic - Mahabharata)
Kathakali is a stylised classical Indian dance-drama that originated in the Indian state of Kerala. The story is enacted purely by the movements of the hands (called mudras or hand gestures), by facial expressions (rasas) and bodily movements. The expressions are derived from Natyashastra. Unlike other classical dances of Inida, which developed in courts and theatres, Kathakali devloped in Hindu temples and monastic schools.