Seethakali

• A 20-member group is set to perform Seethakali outside Kerala for the first time, in Hyderabad.

ABOUT SEETHAKALI

• A dance drama primarily performed by Dalit artists belonging to the Veda and Pulaya communities.
• It presents minuscule episodes of the Ramayana at every homestead.
• This art form was first performed some 150 years back.
• In the early times, Seethakali was performed as part of the harvest festival Onam.
• The props and instruments used during performances are all made of natural materials like bamboo and palm leaves.
• The costumes and the make-up are loud and eye-catching.
• The characters of Rama and Laxmana appear in green since the colour is used to represent gods and goddesses in Kathakali.
• Currently, in Kerala, there is only one registered Seethakali performing group – Perinad Seethakali Sangham.
  • The Perinad Seethakali Sangham was formed by N. Shajimon, a Kerala Folklore Akademi award winner who was in the forefront to revive the art form.