https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Aattakatha_performanceAattakatha performance - Revision history2026-08-07T22:36:40ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Aattakatha_performance&diff=484108&oldid=previmported>TamaraNibbi737 at 03:51, 12 October 20242024-10-12T03:51:02Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Malayalam literary genre}}<br />
{{About||the 1987 film|Aattakatha (1987 film)|the 2013 film|Aattakatha (2013 film)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2019}}<br />
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[[File:രുസ്വവ4.jpg|thumb|Kathakali being performed in the cultural attire]]<br />
'''Aattakatha''' is a [[literary genre]] in [[Malayalam language]] consisting of the [[libretto]] used for the Indian classical dance drama ''[[kathakali]]''.<ref name=prd>{{cite web|url=http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/attakada.html |title=Attakkatha |publisher=Public Relations Department, [[Government of Kerala]] |accessdate=24 May 2013 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The word ''aatta-katha'' literally means "story for dancing and acting"<ref name=History>{{cite book|chapter-url=http://www.keralahistory.ac.in/literaryadition.htm|title=Essays on the Cultural Formation of Kerala literature, Art, Architecture, Music, Theatre, Cinema: The Literary Tradition of Kerala|editor=P.J.Cherian|chapter=The Literary Tradition of Kerala|author=V.Aravindakshan|publisher=KCHR Publications|accessdate=24 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100801012522/http://www.keralahistory.ac.in/literaryadition.htm|archive-date=2010-08-01|url-status=dead}}</ref> (''atu'' "to sway" + ''kathā'' "story").<ref>{{cite book|last=Garg|first=Gaṅgā Rām|title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0U2QRpDv2KMC&pg=PA796|volume=3|year=1992|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-376-4|page=796}}</ref> <br />
The narrative framework of ''aattakatha'' consists quatrains in [[Sanskrit]] metres where the diction also is heavily [[Sanskritised]]; <br />
the dialogue part, however, is made up of ''padas'', which can be set to ''raga'' (tune) and ''tala'' (rhythm) and have to be rendered by means of gestures and body movements by the actors while being sung by musicians from behind.<ref name=prd/><br />
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The origins of ''aattakatha'' literature dates back to the 12th century and it emerged as a literary genre in the 17th century.<ref name=prd/> The earliest of the ''aattakatha''s is believed to be a cycle of eight ''[[Ramayana]]'' stories (collectively known as ''[[Ramanattam]]''), composed by Kottarakkara Tampuran and about whose date there is an ongoing controversy.<ref name=History/> Next in importance are the works of Kottayathu Tampuran whose period is about the middle of the seventeenth century.<ref name=History/> Since the four ''aattakatha''s he wrote ''[[Bakavadham]], [[Kalyanasaugandhikam]], [[Kirmeeravadham]]'' and ''[[Kalakeyavadham]]'' punctiliously conform to the strict rules of ''kathakali'', they are particularly favoured by orthodox artistes and their patrons.<ref name=History/> Another poet of this category is [[Irayimman Thampi]] (1783-1863).<ref name=History/> [[Unnayi Variyar]]’s ''[[Nalacharitham]] Aattakatha'' is one of the most famous works in this genre.<br />
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While Kathakali plays in their original form were designed to be performed over an entire night, over the years, they are performed in highly edited forms; often, only sections of the Aattakatha are performed, with non textual improvisations added.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Phillip B.|last1= Zarrilli|title=Kathakali dance-drama where gods and demons come to play|date=2000|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=978-0-203-19766-0|pages=40–41}}</ref><br />
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==List of Attakathas==<br />
Over the years, a large number of Attakathas have been penned. A list<ref>{{cite book|first1=Phillip B. |last1=Zarrilli|title=Kathakali dance-drama where gods and demons come to play|date=2000|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=978-0-203-19766-0}}</ref> of some popular attakathas is given below:<br />
*[[Seethaswayamvaram]]<br />
*Balivadham<br />
*[[Thoranayudham]]<br />
*[[Kirmeeravadham]]<br />
*[[Bakavadham]]<br />
*[[Kalyanasaugandhikam]]<br />
*[[Kalakeyavadham]]<br />
*[[Keechakavadham]]<br />
*[[Uttaraswayamvaram]]<br />
*[[Dakshayagam]]<br />
*[[Narakasuravadham]]<br />
*Poothanamoksham<br />
*[[Banayudham]]<br />
*Kamsavadham<br />
*[[Balivijayam]]<br />
*Ravanavijayam<br />
*[[Ravanolbhavam]]<br />
*[[Nalacharitham]]<br />
*Rugmangadacharitham<br />
*[[Santhanagopalam (Kathakali)|Santhanagopalam]]<br />
*[[Subhadraharanam]]<br />
*Ambareeshacharitham<br />
*Karthyaveerarjunavijayam<br />
*Kiratham<br />
*Duryodhanavadham<br />
*Rajasooyam<br />
*Rugmineeswayamvaram<br />
*Lavanasuravadham<br />
*[[Karnasapatham]]<br />
*[[Kuchelavrittam]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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* Vellinezhi Achuthankutty (2013)|Kathakalppadangal, Thiranottam<br />
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==Further reading==<br />
* {{cite book|last=Datta|first=Amaresh|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ObFCT5_taSgC&pg=PA267|volume=1|year=1987|publisher=Sahitya Akademi|isbn=978-81-260-1803-1|page=267}}<br />
* Aimanam Krishna Kaimal. ''Attakkatha Sahithyam (study)''. Chapter 4 - Nalacharitham. State Institute of Languages, Kerala, 1998.<br />
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[[Category:Literary genres]]<br />
[[Category:Genres of poetry]]<br />
[[Category:Indian poetry]]<br />
[[Category:Malayalam-language literature]]<br />
[[Category:Kathakali]]</div>imported>TamaraNibbi737