Costumes+in+Kathakaliby+Alicia+Corts

Costumes in Kathakali by Alicia Corts

Kathakali Costume Characteristics
Kathakali costumes, like the rest of this ancient art, places a high emphasis on the aesthetics and how it adds to the overall effect of the performance. A costumer's training at the Kerala Kalamandalam takes five years, and interestingly, the training is classified as a scientific pursuit (Kerala Kalamandalam pamphlet). Indeed, there is a science to the precision of the costumes and the process of clothing the actor.

To begin with, the costume for each character relates to the specific character type, matching the makeup specific for the role. As noted in Bharata's Natyasastra, each aspect of the performance focuses on inspiring rasa in the audience, and the costumes in Kathakali contribute by creating a larger-than-life figure to tell the stories in the attakathas. The traditional story behind the emergence of Kathakali costume revolves around the creator of Kathakali and a trip to the ocean. As he sat looking at the ocean and contemplating how the costumes and makeup should appear, he fell into a deep trance, and in this euphoric state, the characters appeared to him as though emerging from the waves (Baumer and Brandon 1981; Singh). The creator translated the movement of the waves into a voluminous skirt which helps develop the larger-than-life appearance of the characters. The 55 yards of fabric in the skirt give a majestic sway to the costume piece as it moves during the dance (Bolland 1996), imitating the movement of the waves from the vision.

While the costumes are ethereal in their origin, the dressing practice is arduous and intricate. The process of makeup and costume takes approximately four hours to complete, with the dressing process taking place in the forty-five minutes before an actor is ready to enter the stage (Zarrilli 1984). The pettikkaran, who acts as a valet for the actor (Menon 1979), and often the chutti, the makeup artist, assist the actor with the many layers that produce the voluminous, larger-than-life effect of the traditional costume. One of the first costume processes to be completed is the layering of the uttu val, stiff pieces of cloth which are wrapped around a piece of rope which is gradually wrapped around the actor. The actor begins by looping a long loincloth around his waist, anchoring it by looping it between his legs (Zarrilli 2000). The rope is wrapped around and through the loincloth to anchor it. The rope is then pulled out and held tightly while the actor stands firmly. The uttu val are pushed forcefully into place; the 25 pieces of uttu val create the necessary bulk for the skirt (Suresh 2003).

The costumer's saying in Kathakali is that there are sixty-four kettu, twenty-four thirigu (Suresh 2003). Kettu refer to the knots used to tie down the costumes, and thirigu are the insertions where various pieces are tied through. It is interesting to note how these knots and insertions work within the four types of ornaments dictated in the Natyasastra. Ornaments fall into four categories: avedhya (ornaments that pierce the limbs), bandhaniya (ornaments which are tied up), praksepya (ornaments that are worn), and aropya (ornaments that are put around) (Gerould 2000; Pandeya 1943). Kathakali costumes use all but the avedhya ornaments, since all of the ornaments are either tied up, worn, or put around the actor. However, the costumes still follow the principle in the Natyashastra of contributing to the creation of rasa in the audience.

The Natyasastra prescribes several ornaments for performers, including kundala (ear ornaments), muktavali (necklace), anguliya mudra (finger rings), and bahu-nali (forearm ornaments). Kathakali actors follow the guideline for kundala with the wearing of tota (strivesham characters), kundalam (ear ornaments for male characters), and the chevippuvu (ear ornaments worn above the kundalam) (Pandeya 1943; Menon 1979).



While the costumes for Kathakali follow the Natyasastra in many ways, the differences in ornamentation are noticeable. Finger rings, prescribed by the Natyasastra, are not a prescribed part of the Kathakali costume, though performers often wear their own rings. The piercing ornaments, or avedhya, are not a part of Kathakali costume. However, the essence of the Natyasastra, focusing on the use of costume for the purpose of inspiring rasa, is the major focus of costuming techniques within Kathakali.

The Kathakali actor must know and understand what the costume is supposed to look like because of the importance to the overall effect; the uttiyaram "lotus blossoms" contain a mirror specifically to allow the actor a chance to check their makeup (Bolland 1996), and mirrors are placed in the performance spaces to allow actors to check their costumes before entering the stage. Actors are trained to leave the stage if a costume piece needs to be fixed during the performance, pointing once again to the need for perfection in all aesthetic aspects in order to create the environment needed for the inspiration of the rasa.

The following video has a short clip of the dressing process, including the creation of the uttu val layers.

[|Click link for video of the dressing process]

Another video of the dressing process, including the uttu val: [|Costume video]

A photo of the uttu val being put into place.

The videos demonstrate a number of costume styles, including strivesham, or female, characters, and kari, the cruelest of Kathakali characters. The actor ties on the parts of the costume which are easily accessible, such as the leg ornaments, and the dressers assist with the tying on of the other ornaments. The process is done without speaking; the long training for both the actor and the costumer seems to be essential to creating this synergy in the dressing process. The intensity of physical effort to place the uttu val seems similar to the efforts of dressers in Western theatre to lace up corsets, though the focus and concentration in the Kathakali preparation is much different than the sometimes chaotic nature of the Western green room. Barba mentions that Kathakali actors use the makeup time ahead of costumes to transform into their characters, and the intense concentration on the upcoming performance creates a much different environment in the Kathakali dressing room (Barba 1967).

Costumes in //Nala Caritam, Day 4//
In //Nala Charitam, Day 4//, we see three characters and their specific costume styles. Nala, in disguise as Bahuka, is a paccha charater, while Kesini and Damayanti are both strivesham characters. The following photos and descriptions list many of the particular ornaments of the character types.

This character is a strivesham character, so the specific costume is quite different from the male characters. In this photo, we see the tota, which are the specific ear ornaments for female characters (Menon 1979). The headgear is a kontakettu, which gives the illusion of hair being worn in an old-fashioned style, then covered in a veil (Menon 1979). The band of silver along the edge of the kontakettu at the forehead is the kurunira (see image below). The kazhuttaram, the collar with strings of beads dropping from it which partially covers the chest, is worn by both female and male characters (Menon 1979). The hair seen peeking out from under the veil is fake and part of the strivesham look. A tolputtu (upper arm ornament) can be partially seen at the right corner of the photo. The ornaments in Kathakali are meant to accentuate the aesthetic appeal of the characters (Suresh 2003), and the lack of padding and specific ornaments for strivesham characters add a grace needed for the female characters. Historically, the female characters in the early part of the twentieth century lacked some of the femininity of today's costumes; earlier in the century, the jackets were more padded and bulkier, and the skirts were straighter with less padding at the hips (Zarrilli 2000).
 * Photo: Margi Vijaykumar as Damayanti** -

A kurunira worn by strivesham characters

The character dictates this interesting costume shift. Nala has been bitten by a snake, which has turned his skin blue. In this new physical form, the traditional red and white skirt has been replaced with blue costume pieces, signaling Nala's transformation into Bahuka. Blue uttariyam have replaced some of the traditionally red and white. This costume transformation is complete except for the feet, which remain untouched. In the legend, one of the ways that Nala was recognized when in the form of Bahuka was through his feet (Doniger 1999), and while the hands of a Kathakali actor are painted blue when portraying Bahuka, the feet are left as a way of recognizing the real character, Nala, since they are left untouched. **Photo: Bahuka and Damayanti** The photo above illustrates some of the similarities and differences between male and female characters. The picture shows Damayanti and Bahuka toward the end of the //Nala Caritam, Day 4//. The differences in the costumes can be clearly identified: the headdress for Bahuka is larger and more ornate than the feminine veil of Damayanti, Bahuka wears the velli nakham, or long silver fingernails, while Damayanti does not, and the specific ear ornaments are different for the characters. However, the vala, or bangles, are worn by both characters. Both characters wear the uttiyaram, although the male characters wear more of these ornamental draped scarves.
 * Photo: Kalamandalam Gopi as Bahuka**[[image:bahuka.jpg]]

Because Kesini and Damayanti are both strivesham characters, the above photo is an excellent visual representation of the character type and costume. In this photo, the mulakkuralaram, the ornament worn on the chest to simulate breasts, is visible. This is very different from mulamukku, which are the deformed, black leather breasts worn by Shurppanakha, a demoness character. The breasts indicate the femininty of the character along with the padding on the hips, slightly noticeable in the bottom right of this photo. The pati arannanam, the waist ornament featuring several strings of beads dropping from the waist (Menon 1979), is seen at the bottom left of the photo.
 * Photo: Kesini and Damayanti**[[image:Kesini_and_Dhamyanti.jpg]]

Other Character Types
The //Nala Caritam, Day 4//, demonstrates the strivesham and paccha character of Bahuka. However, it is beneficial to note the other character types present in other plays.

The paccha makeup and costume indicates the heroic characters. Bahuka is a paccha character, though his costume is dictated by the needs of the play. Nala, Bahuka's alter ego, would have the same style of costume and headdress, though the skirt would be white with a red border, the utiyarram would be white and red, and the pant would be white. Krishna, Rama, and Laksmana fall into this category as well, though their costumes differ significantly from characters such as Bhima and Nala (Zarrilli 1984). Characters such as Krishna fall into this category as well, though these holy characters have special headdresses and costume colors to indicate their position. The Krishna muti has a distinctly different look and is adorned with peacock feathers. The feathers are used because Krishna appeared to Kalikut, handing him a peacock feather (the Krishnattam, another form of Indian theater, was created based on this event) (Barba 1967). The colors for these divine characters shift from the traditional white and red to blue and yellow, designed to balance the colors and and give an added sense of grandeur (Pandeya 1943). Katti characters have the same costume as paccha, though the characters are arrogant and evil with some noble streak still running through him (Zarrilli 1984). The makeup changes show the difference in character. White beard (Vella Tati) characters are divine or higher beings; Hanuman is the most notable of these characters. The costume for these characters include a fluffier white jacket than paccha characters with a flattened, umbrella-like hat and additional gold chest binders (Zarrilli 1984; Pandeya 1943).

The red beard (cuvanna tati) characters are evil and vile. The jacket for these characters is much fluffier in keeping with their uncouth characters (Zarrilli 1984). The headdress for the character also changes; it is much larger than the keshabharam kiritam of the paccha characters and is rimmed in red wool (Pandeya 1943). Also, the hastakatakam is black rather than the green ones worn by paccha characters, another indication of the despicable nature of the characters. The black beard (karutta tati) characters are evil like the cuvanna tati, though they have the added characteristic of being scheming and cunning (Zarrilli 1984). The jacket for these characters is black while the skirt is blue, an indication of their evil and underhanded nature. The headdress resembles a bucket or a vase (Zarrilli 1984). Kari characters have the same costumes as the karutta tati, but since these characters are demonesses of the forest, the costume includes false, absurd, deformed breasts known as mulamukku (Zarrilli 1984; Menon 1979). The minnuku character type has a generally more realistic costume. Female characters, holy men, messengers, and Brahmins fall into this category. A special muti indicates holy men: the top is knotted in a ball in the same way as priests wrap their hair (Zarrilli 1984).

Several Kathakali characters are outside of the traditional costume and makeup categories. These include Hamsa, Garuda, Jatayu, Bhadrakali, and Narasimha (Zarrilli 1984). The costume shifts are sometimes indicative of the animal being portrayed, as is the case for Hamsa (the swan) and Narasimha (the lion). media type="youtube" key="KuVYwU9nND8" height="344" width="425" A video featuring Narasimha in performance

The costumes in Kathakali brings a sense of movement and majesty to each character. Western costumes change according to taste, style, and the whim of the director and designer; in Kathakali, the costumes serve as a touchstone for audiences for each character.

Photos
http://www.kathakali-art.blogspot.com/ - Picture of Nala and Damayanti The Hindu website - Bahuka, Kesini, and Damayanti photos http://www.kathakalischool.com/costumes.htm - pictures of individual costume pieces http://www.photography-edu.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/kathakali_12.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.photography-edu.com/2009/07/must-see-traditional-dance-from-kerala.html&usg=__RT4nOgNkqNuWLUMaAVvf_3GnxHc=&h=479&w=400&sz=97&hl=en&start=8&sig2=MWE9oyc9DrvuMd1sJclWew&um=1&tbnid=x2JFlBBXujkpmM:&tbnh=129&tbnw=108&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dravana%2Bkathakali%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=Xju9SpL9N9O0tgfWs4mTAQ - Picture of Ravana http://www.photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=1043721 - Picture of Hanuman// http://www.cyberkerala.com/kathakali/artists/narayanan.htm - Picture of Kattalan http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=541904&size=lg- Photo of demoness http://www.carnaticindia.com/dance/kathakali.html - Photo of risi http://www.shunya.net/Pictures/South%20India/Cochin/Cochin.htm - Photo of Brahmin