Background

Literally meaning, the dance of the enchantress, Mohiniattam is a classical dance form of Kerala performed solely by females. It was originally performed in the temple precincts of Kerala. The word Mohini means a highly captivating, beautiful maiden who embodies desires and passions; she uses her assets to steal the heart of the onlookers.

There is a well-known story of Lord Vishnu taking on the guise of the damsel Mohini to enthrall asuras, in a bid to deprive them of the nectar (amrit) which emerged after the churning of the (Ksheerasagara) ocean of milk.

Mohiniattam is based on the themes of love and devotion. Very often, the hero is Vishnu or Krishna. The audience can feel his invisible presence when the heroine or her handmaid narrates in detail, her dreams and ambitions through the circular movements, delicate footsteps and subtle expressions. The movements are graceful like Odissi.

Basic features

The repertoire of Mohiniattam follows closely that of Bharata Natyam. In nritta a number called Cholukattu consists of pure dance movements at the end of which is tagged a poem that is in praise of a deity and also narrates the story of the Ramayana in a nutshell. Another item of pure dance is Tillana which follows the musical mode of Bharata Natyam with classical Carnatic music.

In nritya, the padams are mimed with facial expressions and hand gestures and the themes are drawn from mythology. The nayika or heroine pines for her loved one. A sakhi (confidante) goes and conveys the message to the lover, and the nayika describes her pangs of separation. Then follows a varnam, dwelling upon the narration, impersonation and alternating with pure dance. Though the dance units in Mohiniattam are limited, the quintessential grace and the measured movements are its distinct features. Mohiniattam also includes nayanabhinaya or the vigorous and expressive use of the eyes, eyebrows and eyelids

Costumes and ornaments

The costume is sober, comprising an immaculate, off-white saree, with golden borders and wreaths of mogra flowers adorning the hair, done up in a bun on one side of the head. The dancers wear armlets and bracelets made with mogra flowers. The jewellery worn on the neck is a choker and a kasimala (coin necklace). The dancer wears a circular toda which is with dangling earrings known as jhumka, in her ears .The face is done up with an exaggerated eye make up to help her express her emotions.