17/11/2018
Dear Kathakali Lovers,
Today is the 6th and last day of performance of Kathakali students of ICK. Highlight of this day's program is that today some of the old students have joined and are performing Kathakali after a long gap of their association with ICK.
LECTURE DEMONSTRATION
Maya Rao
Nitu Nair
AYYAPPA CHARITHAM
Poomkodi, a beautiful damsel is wandering in the forest happily, singing and dancing. Suddenly, she sees a handsome young person approaching her. She wonders is this K**a Deva or full moon itself. At once, she is enamored of the young person. When the youth calls her, she blushes and tries to run away from the scene.
Dr Deepti Omchery Bhalla as Poomkodi
NALACHARITHAM – THIRD DAY
(Having deserted Damayanti and finding himself alone, Nalan wails to all gods why he was destined to suffer such a fate). With the blessings of Devas Nalan feels some relief and tries to console himself through some philosophical ideas stating that the forest was a much better place than the city to live in. Wild animals are cruel but they are not pretentious like city dwellers. People in the city are cruel both inside and outside. Real enemies in the city are K**a, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya (lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride and envy). Immersed in such thoughts, he feels that fate has been more kind towards him and he decides to settle in the forest. Unexpectedly, he happens to see a full pregnant deer which was about to be killed by a hunter or tigress. On one side of the deer, there was a forest fire and on the other side, flooding river. Thus, a tragic death was inevitable for the unfortunate animal. Suddenly, a lightning strikes, which kills the hunter. The arrow of hunter slips towards the tigress and kills it. The forest fire retreats due to a rain. Amidst these confusions, the deer delivers a fawn and the mother and fawn deer are safe and glad. This scene gives Nalan some relief. At this time, his attention is diverted by a cry from the forest-fire and he proceeds to find out the reason.
Geeta Pothuval as Nalan
RUGMANGADA CHARITHAM
Lord Brahma sends a heavenly enchantress, Mohini, to Rugmangada, who was relaxing in the forest after hunting. She captivates the king with her beauty, and promises to be his mistress if he grants her all her desires and does not do anything against her wish. The king without thinking the consequences agrees to her stipulation.
Later, on an Ekadasi day, Mohini approaches Rugmangada and tries to embrace him, but the king repulses her. Mohini says that it is a breach of promise, as the king had promised her that he will not do anything against her wishes. Rugmangada request her that he had always been keeping his promise and thus she should allow him to observe Ekadasi vrata.Then, Mohini says that she will allow him to do so, only if Rugmangada agrees to kill his only son, Dharmangada, while he is lying in his mother’s lap. She adds that while killing the boy both the parents should not shed a drop of tear. The king begs Mohini to be merciful and spare his innocent boy, but the enchantress is adamant. Thinking about the act of him killing his son, Dharmangada, Rugmangada falls unconscious. Afterwards, when he gained consciousness Rugmangada prays to Lord Vishnu pitifully for a solution to his dilemma.
At this time, Dharmangada, having heard what is going on appears, accompanied by his mother, Sandhyavali. He tells his father that he will gladly give up his life to help him keep his promise. After much mental torture, the king decides that he would rather kill his son than break the observance of Ekadasi. Rugmangada raises his sword to strike down Dharmangada, when Lord Vishnu appears before him.
As Rugmangada and the others bow down before Lord Vishnu, the god tells him that he should not kill his son because Mohini is a creation of Lord Brahma to test Rugmangada’s devotion. Mohini is dismissed, and after crowing Dharmangada as the king, Lord Vishnu takes Rugmangada with his wife to his abode in Vaikunta.
Divya Ramakrishnan as Rugmangadan - 1
Deepa Ramakrishnan as Mohini - 1
Revathy Iyer as Rugmangadan - 2
Krishna Kannan as Mohini - 2
Aaron Surya as Dharmangadan
SEETHA SWAYAMVARAM
As the wedding party of Sree Rama is on its way back to Ayodhya, Parasurama stands in the way ‘like a towering hill’ and challenges Rama because he has broken the bow belonging to his guru, Siva.
Rama requests Parasurama to give him way. But, Parasurama is adamant and states that in the earth, there should be only one Rama – either Rama, son or Dasaratha or Parasurama, son of Sage Brigu. Dasharatha tries to appease and pacify Parasu Rama, but the latter arrogantly neglects him. When Parasu Rama challenges Sree Rama for a fight, Sree Rama says that there is no reason for them to fight. Then Parasu Rama says that Sree Rama has broken his Guru’s bow and if he is valor enough, he must dare to string, the divine bow of Vishnu, which Parasurama has.
Sree Rama lifts the bow with ease and immediately strings it. As soon as he receives Vishnu’s bow, all godly virtues depart from Parasurama and flow to Sree Rama. Sree Rama asks Parasurama as to where to dart the arrow, as he cannot waste it. Then, Parasurama asks him to dart it against the strength that he has acquired through penance and prayers. Thus, Parasurama loses both his divine and acquired powers. Totally humbled Parasurama praises Sree Rama and asks his permission to go for tapas. Rama and the others proceed towards Ayodhya.
Hemant Harikumar as Parasuraman
Sreeja Unnikrishnan as Sree Rama
Sreejith Shaji as Dasaratha
