Krishnatam and Ramanattam:

The Krishnatam is designed as a votive offering to Krishnan. The theme of this dance form is the story of Krishna and is presented in a series of eight acts dealing with the life of Krishna in a sequential order. It is presented in the form of a dance drama with impressively costumed participants some of whom wear masks. The performance begins after 9 pm and lasts approximately five hours. This dance form gives more importance to dance than to the impression of moods and emotions and stresses movement in groups.

The musicians chant verses, which are rendered in dance by the group. This practice of musicians singing the verses rather than the dancers themselves marked a significant departure from the earlier dance traditions. It permitted the dancer to concentrate on his expressions gestures and movements, as he was relieved of the burden of singing. This three hundred old year dance – form is now performed only in the temple at Guruvayoor in Northern Kerala.

The Krishnatam served as an inspiration for another dance form – the Ramanatam. It is said that one Thampuran, the ruler of Kottarakkara – a petty principality requested the Zamorin of   the neighbouring state of Kozhikode to loan him his Krishnatam troupe. For some reasons the Zamorin did not accede Thampuran’s request, and the insulted king decided to form his own troupe. He wrote a new type of play called Ramanatam, and this dance form is devoted to the life of Rama. 

Even though both plays have similarities such as being stretched over eight nights and using the musicians for singing, it is different in other aspects such as not making use of masks using instead an elaborate make-up technique. And also by substituting Malayalam.  for Sanskrit, the creator of Ramanatam made the performance more accessible to the people.