This is the story of Jarasandha - a character from the great epic Mahabharata - told through the dance form of Kathakali - katha = story, kali = play - Jarasandha is a red-bearded character in Kathakali, signifying an evil and demonic personality - he fights with the righteous Bhima and finally dies at his hands.

Kathakali is a mix of classical and folk dance forms from the South Indian state of Kerala, and fairly easy to follow, given that the music is a mixture of Malayalam and Sanskrit and the actors have limited means with which to convey emotions - the eyes (what can be seen of them), hands and feet and some sounds. Kathakali was traditionally performed in temples, performances beginning late in the night and going on till early morning, although now there are stage performances which are much shorter. I read also that Kathakali exponents go through several years of rigorous training in Kalaripayattu, a martial arts from of Kerala, to gain the grace and stamina that this dance requires. Given just how consuming this art form is, I can only say that I am very glad this has survived to this day.

Two hours on stage, four hours before that for the make-up and costume. Paints and oils, canvas and cloth, silk and cotton… it is a process that is as intensive and time-consuming to go through as it is fascinating to watch. (Do read the wikipedia piece on Kathakali - very informative and interesting, especially the bit on make-up and what each of the colors and costumes signifies).

The images in this gallery attempt to tell the story as it was performed - to the end where good wins over evil. Read the entire story on my blog - the story of a king.