Musical and theatrical forms popular in Travancore

Travancore that later formed a part of modern Kerala, owes its theatrical origin to our ancient ritualistic forms in both music and dance. The theatrical forms that emerged in Kerala were highly socio-religious and associated with temple rituals and ceremonies. Theyyam, Mudiyettu, Thira, Padayani, Sarpam Thullal, Sarpam Paattu, Kalam Pattu, Theeyaattu, Bhagawathi Pattu, etc have specific songs set in peculiar talas and ragas.

In addition, there are socio-folk type of songs used for nonreligious festivals. These festivals are associated with harvest or mundane life, and are non-devotional in nature. Such songs include Ezhamuttu Pattu, Thullal, Kurathi Attom, Kaikottikkali etc.

Certain dramatic dance forms are accompanied by appropriate songs. Such dance forms include Sanghakkali or Yatrakkali, Chakkiyaar Kootthu, Krishnaattom, Vijayanrittham , Arjunanrittham etc.

An important fact to be noticed is that folk music formed the basis for the present Karnatic music. Whenever a conflict arises between lakshyas or practical aspect and lakshana or theory, lakshna was always altered and interpreted in a way as to suit the lakshya. Folk music also formed the basis on which many later lakshanakaaraas analysed different streams or branches of music.

Two other major theatrical art forms of ancient time are Koodiyattom and Koothu. Koodiyattom, one of the ancient Sanskrit drama forms prevalent in Travancore also, combined in it Touryatrikas - drama, music and dance; that is, Koodiyattom originated and developed as a separate art form having classical integrity and individuality. This art form made use of specific ragas and talas peculiar to music of Kerala. These ragas strictly followed the time theory concept. Some of the ragas figuring in Koodiyattom are of Keralite origin, namely, Muddavelaadhooli, Sreekanta, Indalam, Kanakkurinji, Muralindalam, Puranira etc. The characters are flat and each character is supposed to sing particular ragas.

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