The Arts of Kerala Kshetram

In her continuing quest, re-affirming the vision of India as an organic whole, Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan approaches the arts of Kerala both in their distinctive qualities and holistic dimension, which ideally represent the dynamics of Indian cultural processes. This monograph, based on the inaugural Parikshit Memorial Lecture delivered by Dr. Vatsyayan at the Government Sanskrit College, Tripunithura in August 1988, now reprinted, has been commended by many as remarkably rich in the variety of art forms it covers and the directions for future research it offers in the area. Dr. Vatsyayan has had close association with South India, especially Tamil Nadu and Kerala. She has travelled the length and breadth of Kerala, often on foot, studying its art forms and visiting temples. The present volume is a result of this experience. In this exploration, the author dwells on varied topics like the popular myths and the archetypal images of Bhagavati, Shiva and Bhima and their sociological connotations and various forms of oral, ritual and visual arts ranging from paintings, murals and sculptures to the performing arts belonging to the folk and classical traditions. She revisits these art forms, often termed as “little” and “great” traditions, and shows how performing art forms, like Kathakali and Krishnanattam, serve as a bridge between them.