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Essay name: Hastalaksanadipika a critical edition and study

Author: E. K. Sudha
Affiliation: Government Sanskrit College (Tripunithura) / Department of Sanskrit

This is an English study on the Hastalaksanadipika—a manual depicting the Mudras (gestures) of the Kerala theatre. It is a very popular text supposedly dating to the 10th century A.D. This study also touches the subject of Krsnanattam, Kathakali and Kutiyattam—some of India's oldest theatrical traditions in Kerala.

Chapter 3 - Later developments of dramatic techniques

Page:

14 (of 22)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


Download the PDF file of the original publication


Copyright (license):

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)


Warning! Page nr. 14 has not been proofread.

Subhadrāharaṇam of Kārtika Tirunā� are known today as 'Southern stories' to differentiate the first two from those written by Kōṭṭayattu Tampuran and the third from the one written later by Mantreṭattu Nampūtirippā�. As regards the literary aspect, his Kathakali works are not on a par with those written by Kōṭṭayattu Tampurān. But they are suitable for acting on the stage in accordance with the technique of abhinayas. His Narakasuravadhom is a popular play even today and is very often staged as it presents a few interesting scenes. Like nandi in a Sanskrit drama, in Kathakali also an invocatory part is seen in the beginning. This is called Tōṭayam. An actor in a female role comes to the stage and stands behind the curtain facing the musicians and performs the preliminary dance of invocation. The actor resorts to different forms of foot-steps, the rhythm of which is based on the beating of the drum being played. The song technically called the pada extols the greatness of God. In the Kathakali works of Koṭṭārakkara Tampurän there is no totayam being performed. It was first introduced by Kōṭṭayattu Tampuran. Following him Kārtika Tirunā� also composed another Tōṭayam for his Kathakali works. Kārtika Tirunāl Mahārāja gave generous encouragement not only for the Kathakali performance but also for other forms of art. Tradition says, though not fully substantiated, that once Mahārāja witnessed the Dasiyāṭṭom performance which came from Tamilnadu and pleased 102

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