Fun things to do in State of Kerala

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HOUSE BOATS

A house boat is about 67 feet in length and has a width of around 13 feet in the middle. The materials that go into the making are all local and Eco friendly bamboo poles, coconut fiber ropes, bamboo mats, coir carpets etc. The main wood used is "Anjili". The house boats have fully furnished single and double rooms with sundeck, private balcony with comfortable chairs, kitchen and toilet with WC. In addition there is also separate rest room for the crew. Traditional lanterns are used as lights. The crew includes a chef and two oarsmen. The cuisine is traditional Kerala flavour with the local specialities; delicious fish and prawns. There are single bedroom houseboats for two people and two bedroom houseboats for four people.

Our craftsmen have created a unique atmosphere on board, a luxurious, self contained world from which to observe rural Indian life flowing gently by. The experience will be quite different from any other holiday.

One couple has the exclusive run of the entire boat ensuring privacy for honeymooners - and guests are attended to by a personal cook and two boatmen.

While converting kettuvallams into houseboats, care is taken to use only natural products. Bamboo mats, sticks and wood of the aracanut tree are used for roofing, coir mats and wooden planks for the flooring and wood of coconut trees and coir for beds. For lighting though, solar panels are used.

Today, the houseboats have all the creative comforts of a good hotel including furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cozy living rooms, a kitchen and even a balcony for angling. Parts of the curved roof of wood or plaited palm open out to provide shade and allow uninterrupted views. While most boats are poled by local oarsmen, some are powered by a 40 HP engine. Boat-trains - formed by joining two or more houseboats together - are also used by large groups of sight-seers.

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Rejuvenation Massage:

In the Ayurvedic textbooks, rejuvenation has been termed as Rasayana. A definition of Rasayana in Ayurveda is described as: "That which destroys the old age and disease is called Rasayana."

Rejuvenation Therapy ('Rasayana Chikitsa') tones, rejuvenates and strengthens all the tissues so as to achieve ideal health and longevity. Increases 'Ojas' (Primary Vitality), improves 'Sattva' (Mental Clarity) and thereby increases the resistance of the body.

If you think English Football is the most electrifying event in the world, try Kerala snake Boat races.
Boats manned by four helmsmen, 25 singers and 100 - 125 oarsmen who row in unison to the fast rhythm of the vanchipattu (song of the boatman). Thousands of people crowd the water's edge to cheer the huge black crafts as they slice through the waters to a spectacular finish.....
It's a spectacular event not to miss while you are anywhere close to Kerala..

Katti (knife shape worn on forehead)

Demons and villains. Usually nobles similar to pacca group.

They wear similar make up/costumes,but their characteristics are the complete opposite.

Teppu - This group may represent humans, animals or objects, many different performers.

Minnukku
This is the servant class.
Make up is more subtle and costumes are less ornate

Prior to the dance performance, the narrator gives a brief outline of the expected performance, and demonstrates the 9 facial emotions (mukhabhinaya) and various eye movements and their meanings.

Kathakali also has a language of hand gestures which has 24 alphabets (in Sanskrit they are known as Mudras)these too are demonstrated.

Typed handouts are usually provided, with a brief outline of the performance, plus the hand movements etc.

The narrator at Art Kerala is also the director of the centre. Mr. T. Radhakrishnan, who was a disciple of the late Guru Gopinath who was a leading exponant of Kathakali.

Although he is in his 70's he can't retire as there is no one to take over his work.

In Cochin, live music accompanies the performance, tho' the performance I saw in Kovalam was to tape recorded music. ( which was a problem with the frequent power cuts!)

The musicians are usually illuminated by a single lantern or candle flame, which adds to the atmosphere.

The main instrument is the drum, a long barrel shaped instrument (sudda mandalam) It is beaten at both ends, producing a resonant rythym.

Singers accompany the drummer, the sounds they produce and the drum beat alters to portray the emotions the dancers are acting.
The musicians are highly skilled professionals.

The dancers don't speak or sing, but rely on the accompanying musicians, together with their facial expressions/hand gestures etc to portray moods and emotions to tell the story

Kathakali means story play. It is a classical dance- drama , derived from a form of yoga, that is believed to have its beginnings in the 2nd century BC, with the contempory form dating from the first half of the 17th Century AD.
Many elements of art form are combined into a Kathakali performance.

There are about 30 plays in existance,(originally there were about 100) based on stories from the Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharatha, where common themes of good v evil, weakness & courage, wealth & poverty, War & Peace are dramatised.

Attakatha (the script) is a sanskrit form of Malayalam, vocalised by singers or musicians.
The dancers narrate the story through intricate facial expressions and gestures, with sudden leaps, spins and freeze balances. Each wearing fantastic costumes and elaborate make up.

Dancers usually begin a disciplined training at around age 10 or 12, lasting for about 8 years, where intense physical exercises and instruction in footwork, body movements, eye movements, hand gestures and facial portrayal of emotions are undertaken.

Each dancer learns the different characters parts /make up etc. as he may play a different character at each performance.

See my Kovalam and Cochin pages too for more tips about this fascinating tradition!

Kathakali traditionally took place in temple grounds, with performances lasting 4 hours or longer. During Temple festivals the performance starts at 9pm and continues through the night until early morning.

This artform was in danger of becoming extinct, but had a revival about 40 years ago.
Tourism keeps the performance alive today, but concessions have been made. Performances are shorter, and many now take place in indoor halls, restaurants and hotels.
The music (Geetham) and musical instruments (Vadhyam) form an integral part of the art performance, with highly trained artistes. Some performances are now accompanied by taped recordings. (The performance I saw in Kovalam was done this way, but suffered as a result of a few power cuts that night!)
I'd read that lower castes and women are now allowed to perform, but when I asked our guide about this he denied it.

Although Kathakali has rigid codes and a preciseness of training and practice, it is still allowed to progress with the individual interpretation of the performer.