4 Kathakali Mudras
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Dictionary
മലയാളം
Lessons

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Kathakali

Introduction to Kathakali video

Film credt - filming, editing, scripting, voice over and producing by Kalamandalam Barbara Vijayakumar

- - -

Welcome to the first digital dictionary of Kathakali Mudras (sign language) in the world.

This dictionary was created by Kathakali actor, Kalamandalam Vijayakumar, to help audiences understand and enjoy Kathakali on a deeper level.

If you want to understand what these actors are saying this dictionary contains all the words used in a Kathakali play.

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Kathakali mudras, first captured in temple sculptures, are part of an ancient tradition of classical Indian theatre that emerged from temples rituals thousands of years ago.

This sacred language is enriched by drama, emotion, storytelling, movement and music.

Kathakali plays were first performed to educate, inspire and expose social behaviour within local communities. Kathakali has emerged as one of the most powerful forms of visual theatre on earth.

Thank you for visiting this dictionary − hope you enjoy it − Come with me on this exciting journey into the extraordinary world of Kathakali.
Kalamandalam Vijayakumar.

For further study we provide; workshops, performances and exhibitions are available − please visit our web page for more information.

www.kathakali.net

Introduction Videos

To help your study of Kathakali sign language these short videos below will take you from the alphabet to a story on stage.

The basic alphabet
How to make the words
Basic facial expressions
The story
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Dictionary of Kathakali Mudras

Below you will find links to an instructional video for each word. These are in alphabetical order, listed below.
Just click on the word to open the video page.

A

Abandon
Abbreviate
Above
Accept
Accuse
Across
Address
Admire
Admit
Adore
Aeroplane
Afraid
After
Agree
Air
Alavattam
All
Alphabet
Always
Amruthu
Anger
Animal
Animal's skin
Anjali
Answer
Anthapuram
Anywhere
Appreciation
Aralam
Arjunan
Arrogant
Arrow
Arthachandram
Ash
Ashan
Asleep
At
Attract
Avanazhi
Avil

B

Baby boy
Baby girl
Baby
Back
Bad person
Bad smell
Bad
Bala Chandran
Balance
Balaraman
Bali
Ball
Bangle
Basic body exercises
Basic eye exercises
Bark
Basic facial expressions
Bath in the river
Be satisfied
Beautiful girl
Beautiful lady
Beautiful woman
Beautiful
Beauty
Because
Bed
Bee taking honey from the flower
Bee
Before
Begging
Begin a journey
Bharathan
Big drum
Big Headed
Bhiman
Bird singing
Bird
Birth
Bison
Bit
Bless
Blind
Black
Blood
Blossom
Blue
Body
Book
Bow
Brake
Brahmin
Branch of a tree
Brave
Breath
Breast
Brahamaram
Brahammavu
Bright
Broke
Brother
Bud
Buffalo
Bull
Butterfly
By

C

Can I go
Canal
Caste
Cave
Celebration
Ceremony
Chain
Chariot
Chariot driver
Chicken
Cheek
Chest
Child
Childish
Closing the door
Closing the window
Cloth
Cloud
Cold
Come here
Come
Competition
Congratulations
Contempt
Country
Cow
Criminal
Crocodile
Crowded
Crown
Cry
Cuddle
Curse
Cut 1
Cut
Cute

D

Dakshan
Dance
Dark
Daughter
Day
Dead
Decoration
Deer
Definite
Demon
Demi god
Depressed
Desire 1
Desire
Destroy
Devil
Dharmaputhrar
Dice game
Difficult
dimond
Dirty
Distance
Divine
Divorce
Do not
Do
Dog
Door open
Door
Doubt
Drawing
Drinking 1
Drinking 2
Drinking
Driving a chariot
Duryoodahnan
Dushasanan
Dynasty

E

Eat
Each
Eagle
Ears
Education
Earth
Eight
Elder brother 1
Elder brother
Elder sister
Elephant
Elephant's ears
Elephant's Tusk
Embrace
End
Enemy
Enough
Enter
Equal
Etcetera
Evening
Every day
Excellent
Eye brow
Eye
Elder sister 1

F

Face
Fame
Famous
Fangs 1
Fangs
Far
Fast
Fat
Fate
Father
Fault
Favourably
Feat
Feather
Feeling down
Fell
Festival
Fire wood
Fire
Fish
Five
Flag
Flowing down 1
Flagpole
Flower bud
Flower
Flute
Flying
Food
Forehead
Forest Dweller
Forest Dweller Female
Forest
Forgive
Four
Fox
Friend
Forget
From
Front
Fruit
Full

G

Garland
Ganesh
Gandarvan
Get out from my House
Get out from my way
Get out from my Yaga house
Get out
Gift
Girl friend
Give
Glue
Go away
Go
Going up
Got
Gold
Good smell
Good
Ghost
Grain
Grass
Great
Greeting
Grow
Growing up
Guru
Got

H

Habit
Hair
Half Moon
Hamsapaksham
Hamsasyam
Hand
Hanuman
Happen
Happines
Happy
Hard
Have
Heart
He 1
He
Headdress
Head
Hear
Hurt
Heavy
Hell
Hide
Hello
Her
Here 1
Here
Hero
Heaven
Hill
Him or Her
Him
History
Hit
Hit by arrows
Honey
Hook
Horse
House
How
Hug
Hungry
Husband

I

I will show
I am 1
I am female
I am male
I am
Idea
If
In
Indran
Indrani
Inform
ing
Is present
Is
Item

J

Jada
Jayanthan
Jealous
Joint
Journey
Jump

K

Kadakam
Kadakamugham
Kadinam
Kali
Kamadevan
Kamam
Kapidhakam
Karthareemugham
Keechakan
Kill
Kind
King
Kirikidam Head dress
Know
Knowledge
Krishna Lord
Kunthi

L

Lady
Lakshmanan
Lakshmi
Lamp
Lance
Land
Lanka
Later
Leave
Leg massage
Leg
Lets go
Lay down
Life
Light
Lightening
Like
Lion
Lips
Listen
Live
Long hair
Look 1
Lord Krishna
Lord Rama
Look
Lotus 1
Lotus pond
Lotus
Loud noise
Loud
Love birds
Love

M

Makeup
Man
Many
Marriage
Marvellous
Master
Massaging the leg
Meat 1
Meat
Meditation
Medicine
Milk
Mind
Mirror
Monkey
Moon light
Moon
Most
Mother
Mountain
Movement
Mrgaseersham
Mridangum or Madalam
Mudrakyam
Mukuram
Mukulam
Multiple story building
Mushti
My

N

Nakulan
Nail going in to the wall
Narasimham
Near
Neck
News
Night
Ninnu
Nine
Nobody
No one
No
Nose
Not
Nothing
Now

O

Ocean
Offend
Offer
Offering
Old age
On
One by one
One
Oornanabham
Order
Ours
Own

P

Pain
Palace
Pallavam
Panchali
Pandavas
Parashuraman
Pathakam
Parvathi
Pathivrutha
Peacock
Peak
Pearl
People
Pig
Pillar
Plane
Play
Playing with a ball
Please come
Plenty
Plural
Poison
Pond
Pooja
Poonunool
Pot
Powder
Pregnant
Praise
Pray
Present
Priest
Presentation
Progressive
Protect
Purappeduka
Pure
Putting a nail in a flag pole

Q

Quarrel
Queen
Quick
Quality

R

Rain
Rat
Ravanan
Read
Reason
Receive
Red
Remember
Renown
Replace
Reply
Residence
Result
Rice
River
Roar
Robber
Rock
Rocking
Rope
Run

S

Sacred
Sad
Sahadevan
Savation
Salutation 1
Salutation 2
Salutation 3
Salutation
Same as
Sand
Sandbank
Saraswathi
Sarpasiras
Sathrukanan
Satisfaction
Sea
Search
Secret
Sediment
See 1
See
Shame
Shooting an arrow
Servant
Seven
Sex
Sence of shame
Shape
Sheet
Shell
Shikaram
Shore
Shower
Shukathundam
Shy
Sign
Silence
Silver
Sing
Sit
Sitting
Siva
Six
Sky
Sleep
Slow
Small quantity
Small steps
Smell
Smile
Smoke
Snake
Soft wind
Soldier
Some
Son
Soon
Sound
Sowing seeds
Speak
Split
Spring
Stainless
Star
Stairs
Star
Start
Steal
Step
Stone
Stool
Story
Straight
Strength
Strong
Student
Suitable
Stupid
Suchikamugham
Sudarshana chakram
Sudden
Sugreevan
Sun
Sunbeam
Sunset
Sure
Sweat
Sweet
Swan
Swallow
Swing

T

Take
Taking
Tall building
Teacher
Teeth
Thats right
Thali
Their
There 1
There 2
There
Thief
Thin
Think
Thirsty
This woman
This
Thodas
Three
Threelokam
Thunder
Tiger
Tight
Time
Tired
To
Tongue
Top
Travel
Tree
Treepadakam
True
Turtle
Two

U

Umbrella
Uncle

V

Vardhamanakam
Varantha
Varunan
Veena
Venchamaram
Very good
Victory
Viduran
Vine
Vishnu
Visravanan

W

Wait
Wake up
Walk
War
Warning
Waste
Water
Water Lilly
Waves
Way
We
Weapon
Wheels
Weight
Welcome
Well done
What
What 2
What 1
What a pity
What 3
When
Where
Who
Why
Wicked 1
Wicked
Wife
Will show you
Win
Wind
Wind 1
Wind 2
Wings
Winter
With
Wonder
Working
Work
World 1
World
Worm
Worry
Worship

X

Y

Yadavan
Yagam
Yama
Year
Yell
Yes
You
You 1
you 2
You 3
You come here
Younger brother
Younger sister
Yours 1
Yours
Youth

Z