After being collected from your hotel lobby at around 5:30PM, you will be taken to the Cochin Cultural Center to watch the enchanting dance form of Kerala, Kathakali. The duration of this dance ballet will be approximately 1 hour (6:30PM-7:30PM). The performing artists will be decked out in heavy costumes of myriad colors and resplendent makeup, capped by a huge crown. The artist display an amazing array of expressions on their faces to narrate the tale along with nifty footwork. The dance drama is mostly inspired by ancient Hindu epics such as the Ramayana, the Mahabharat and the Purana, punctuated by rhythmic music in the background. The colors on the faces of the artists help in understanding the nature of the character. For example, Red (Tati) symbolizes an evil character such as Ravana or Dushasana, whereas green (pacca) is reserved for the protagonists or fighters, with red color dots and lines on their cheeks portraying the evil present inside them. The color black is basically for hunters or dwellers, and yellow is for monks. Shiny yellow, orange and saffron stand for the purity of woman’s spirit. At the end of the dance, the musicians give a thrilling musical experience in the concluding segment. After the Kathakali, you are bound to come out from the theater having been thoroughly entertained, and with your heart in your mouth. Following the riveting dance performance, you will be taken to a hotel or a restaurant for an enjoyable dinner to complete a memorable evening.

Have a chance to appreciate the extraordinary classical dance form of Kerala. The act begins with the Kelikutto. It is the call for the audience to shift their attention as the act is about to get started. Kelikutto will be followed by Todayam. In this part, two allotted characters evoke the blessing of the divine. This will be consecutively followed by an entertaining dance piece called Purapaddu. Once the dance piece ends, the musicians will take the stage and transport the audience on a breathtaking musical journey. This particular section of the act is called Melappada. Pakka or the Minukku will not have the opportunity to do a debut on the stage. All the other characters will perform a debut in the Tiranokku section. This marks the beginning of the performance or the scene to be narrated. After the cultural icons of the Kerala majestic dance show, you will be taken back to the hotel restaurant where you will enjoy dinner. After dinner, drop back to hotel.

Your sightseeing at Fort Kochi will take you on a tour of the center of Old Cochin, an area that now the city’s heritage zone. See the Chinese fishing nets, St. Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica, and the many preserved heritage houses. During this 4-hour activity, you’ll see these sites on a walking tour. At the end of the tour you’ll head to the Kathakali center, where you’ll enjoy a performance of traditional Kathakali dance. Before the performance you’ll see the preparation and dressing of the artists, which is an experience in itself. Kathakali is one of the most complex and highly stylized Indian art forms. It is basically a dance drama, noted for its heavy and attractive larger-than-life make up, elaborate costumes, detailed body movements, synchronized eye-hand movements, and thematic presentation of stories. Kathakali’s popularity traditionally was confined to palace dance halls, the courtyards of Nair noble households, and temple festivals.