A single Kutiyattam act can run for days, and a full play for forty

Background

Kutiyattam is the Sanskrit theatre practised in Kerala and one of India's oldest living theatrical traditions. UNESCO places its origin more than 2,000 years ago and describes it as a synthesis of Sanskrit classicism with the local traditions of Kerala. Its codified language rests on netra abhinaya, the expression of the eyes, and hasta abhinaya, the language of gestures. Performers train for ten to fifteen years; a single act may take days and a complete performance may last up to 40 days. It is staged in temple theatres called Kuttampalams, with an oil lamp placed on stage to signify a divine presence. UNESCO proclaimed it in 2001 and inscribed it in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.