Mudiyettu, ritual art of Kerala

Today we are travelling from the 5 stars hotel in Spain Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa to India to find out about one of its most famous dances: mudiyettu.

Mudiyettu is a ritual dance drama from Kerala, a state in the south-west region of India, based on the mythological tale of a battle between the goddess Kali and the demon Darika. It combines dance and acting.

It´s an act in which everyone participates. The performances take place in Bhagavati Kavus, the temples of the goddess in villages along the rivers Chalakkudy Puzha, Periyar and Maovattupuzha.

Mudiyettu performers purify themselves through fasting and prayer and draw a huge image of goddess Kali, called kalam, on the temple floor with coloured powders, wherein the spirit of the goddess is invoked. This prepares the ground for the next act in which the divine sage Narada beg Shiva to contain the demon Darika, who is immune to defeat by mortals. Then Shiva orders that Darika will die at the hands of the goddess Kali.

Responsibility for its transmission lies with the senior performers, who engage the younger generation as apprentices during the performance. Mudiyettu is an important cultural element for transmission of traditional values, ethics, moral codes and aesthetic norms to the next generations.

In 2010 Mudiyettu was inscribed in the UNESCO´s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

If you have enjoyed learning more about Indian culture, we invite you come to the luxury hotel Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa and be pleased with the Asiatic luxury in the Mediterranean.