Artistes breathe a new life into Seethakali folk art

Source: The post is based on the article “Artistes breathe a new life into Seethakali folk art”  published in The Hindu on 28th August 2023

What is the News?

The Perinad Seethakali Sangham, a group of artists from diverse backgrounds, revived the dying Seethakali folk art form in 2017.

This group is now set to perform outside Kerala for the first time

What is Seethakali folk art?

Seethakali is a traditional folk-dance drama from Desinganad, Kerala.It is primarily performed during the Onam festivities.

Performed by: The performance is carried out by Dalit artists belonging to the Veda and Pulaya communities.

Based on: The art form is based on certain episodes taken from the epic Ramayana.

– The performance portrays the tale of Sita’s journey, from vanayatra (exile to the forest) to Sita’s andardhanam (descend into the earth).

Key Features: The art form is a blend of songs, storytelling and fast movements.It is accompanied by instruments such as ganjira, manikatta, chiratta and kaimani.

– The costumes and the make-up are loud and eye-catching.The characters of Rama and Laxmana appear in green since the color is used to represent gods and goddesses in Kathakali.

Reason for decline: Seethakali songs were orally transmitted from one generation to the next, which led to a pause in the tradition.