allow the dancer to convey a great
range of emotions to the audience. For
further information see Mohan
Khokar, Traditions of Indian Classical
Dance,1984.
Kathakali
One of the classical danceforms of
India; some of the others are
Bharatanatyam, Orissi, Kuchipudi,
Kathak, and Manipuri. Like much of
traditional Indian culture, classical
dances are identified with certain
regions; Kathakali is primarily found
in Kerala. Unlike many of the other
classical forms, Kathakali did not
develop in a temple setting. It
appeared as a developed style in the
seventeenth century, although it is
rooted in folk and religious dramas
dating from centuries before.
Kathakali has traditionally been
danced only by men—the women’s
form in Kerala is Mohini Attam. A
Kathakali performance is one of the
most dramatic spectacles in the
Indian arts. Part of this drama comes
from the dancers’ training, stressing
controlled facial mobility to facilitate
ease and power of expression. The
dancers wear flamboyant costumes
and headdresses. The most striking
feature of all is elaborate makeup—
the heroes’ faces are painted a vivid
green, with fluted ridges made of rice
paste attached to their cheeks, while
villains are painted in green and red
and have knobs of pith attached to
their chins and foreheads. Stylistically,
the dance moves between athletic
jumps and majestic turns, with reli-
gious texts forming the dominant
source for stories. As with all Indian
dances, Kathakali has a well-devel-
oped “vocabulary” of gesture and
facial expression, which makes it pos-
sible for the dancers to engage in
complex storytelling. As with all other
classical dances, Kathakali has under-
gone certain changes in the past gen-
eration, spurred by a shift in the
venue from temple courtyards to
stage performance. For example, a
planned stage performance requires a
well-organized “program” and a desig-
nated time frame, whereas in earlier
times Kathakali performances would
often last all night long. For further infor-
mation see Mohan Khokar, Traditions of
Indian Classical Dance, 1984.Katha Upanishad
One of the later and more developed
Upanishads, the speculative religious
texts that form the latest stratum of the
oldest Hindu sacred texts, the Vedas. As
with most of the Upanishads, the Katha
Upanishad investigates profound ques-
tions, in particular the nature of the Self
(atman). The text tells the story of a
boy, Nachiketas, whose father sends
him to Death in a fit of anger.
Nachiketas goes to Death’s abode, but
finds no one. He waits for three days
before Death returns. To make amends
for ignoring a brahminguest—which
the text describes as a serious sin—
Death gives Nachiketas three boons, or
wishes. Nachiketas uses the first boon
to be restored to his father’s house and
the second to receive instruction in
performing a sacrificial fire. With the
final boon, he asks what happens to a
person after the death of the body.
Death first tries to evade the question,
then tries to bribe Nachiketas with
other gifts. When the boy insists on an
answer, Death begins to reveal his
secrets; these revelations make up the
bulk of the text. Death’s secrets focus
mainly on the reality of the Self, its eter-
nal and indestructible nature, its subtle
qualities, and the difficulties in realiz-
ing it. The Self is the ultimate truth, and
to know it is to know the only thing that
really matters.Katyavalambita Hasta
In Indian dance, sculpture, and ritual,
the name of a particular hand gesture
(hasta) in which the arm hangs down
beside the body and the hand rests on
the hip in a relaxed manner.Katyavalambita Hasta