Ramayana in kodiyattam and kathakali

The video is a presentation of the Ramayana through the dance form of Koodiyattam and Kathakali of Kerala. Kerala has developed many unique and highly stylized forms of traditional dance drama. The themes of these forms are the myths and epics common to many Indian traditional arts. The Ramayana, one of the two great epics, is a unifying factor in Indian culture. The oldest form of traditional dance drama in Kerala is the temple-bound Koodiyattam, the only extant classical theatre in India with a continuous tradition of nearly 20 centuries. This episode is from the Ramayana- Sita's Abduction. Evolved around the 16th century from earlier forms such as Koodiyattam and Krishnattam, Kathakali is the acme of traditional Kerala dance drama.