Hidden Texts: The Commentary Tradition of the South Indian Sanskrit Theatre Kūṭiyāṭṭam

Cooperation

Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies – Indian Studies and URPP Asia and Europe

Location

RAF-E-011, URPP Asia and Europe, Rämistrasse 66, 8001 Zürich

Description

Kūṭiyāṭṭam is the only form of Sanskrit theatre in the entire region of South Asia with an unbroken tradition (> 1000 years). Part of its complex structure are stage manuals including elaborate commentaries of various kinds. Developed by and for an educated audience, Kūṭiyāṭṭam plays with several languages (Sanskrit, Prakrits, Malayalam, Manipravalam) and brings the Indian commentary tradition to life on stage by translating the texts involved word by word into hand gestures and stylized mime.