Circumscribed by Space and Time: An Assessment of the Popularity and Impact of Traditional Dance-drama <i>Krishnattam</i> in the Twenty-first Century

Abstract

Temple art forms in South India form a unique site for conglomeration of art, culture, historicity and belief systems, and are indicative of the underlying social reality. Kerala, the southernmost tip of India, is perhaps one of the very few states where 2000-year old Sanskrit dramas are still performed in a conventional manner within the premises of the temple. Krishnattam, a form of dance-drama which depicts the journey of Lord Krishna in eight stages from avataram (birth of Lord Krishna) to swargarohanam (renouncement of the human form), is performed in temples like Guruvayoor.
Despite all the technological advancements in and around the temple premises, Krishnattam has maintained its sanctity and authenticity, from the musical instruments played to the selection of artists for the performance. People still throng to book a performance of Krishnattam six months in advance. Our area of focus in the Krishnattam performance is the spell and impact it creates amongst the audience who are not performance critics, literary critics or aesthetic theorists – the majority of them being simply devotees or pilgrims who come to visit the temple. Our argument here is that the popularity of Krishnattam lies not just in the fact that it occupies a sacred space in the public imagination due to its undiluted ritualistic mores and highly stylised dance techniques but also due to the recuperative impact it has on the audience witnessing various episodes like avataram, rasakreeda, kaliyamardhanam or swayamvaram. Every spectator’s interpretation of Krishnattam helps to construct a new meaning and the impact also varies according to the needs and desires of the audience.