Kalari and Kathakali for culture vultures

After the entry to the jungle is closed at 6 pm, the town of Kumily comes alive with tourists, making a beeline for shopping and cultural shows. Within a short walk from the main street of hotels lies the Mudra Cultural Centre, where hour-long shows are packed with abridged dance-drama stories and short martial art demonstrations. It is most popular for its Kathakali and Kalaripayattu performances. You can come in earlier and see the Kathakali artistes getting ready that includes painting their faces in a bright green and making the elaborate mask that surrounds their face. Usually, this takes over an hour and then the performances start. The Kalari performers do not have an eye-catching dress, but their agility and fortitude is admirable. The bare Kalari rink and a large hall with seating on the periphery makes for the venue for Mudra’s evening cultural extravaganza. The performances are organised by students of a Kottayam based dance school. There is another option for travellers if Mudra is packed. One can also head to Kadathanadan Kalari Centre, which has only Kalari shows for an hour. Photography is allowed inside Kadathanadan, so you can capture the remarkable performances for posterity.