Kerala Kalolsavam 2026 | Foot-stomping legends ignite the festival stage

Dressed in glittering costumes and ornate headgear, and moving with thunderous, foot-stomping precision, the performers of St. Sebastian Higher Secondary School, Gothuruthu, on Friday transformed the Town Hall in Thrissur into a world of valiant knights, wise kings, and loyal companions drawn from the medieval French epic Chansons de geste. Their 20-minute excerpt, Fights of Wives, brimmed with synchronised energy, theatrical flair, and infectious verve.

“Chavittu Natakam runs in their veins,” said trainer Sebastian Abhilash. “These students have grown up with the art form, and St. Sebastian School has been bringing it to the festival stage for years. We adapted a small portion of the epic for a 20-minute performance, but the intensity and theatrics remain uncompromised.”

A 16th-century Christian dance-drama of Kerala, Chavittu Natakam blends local folk traditions with European operatic influences. It weaves together stories of the Bible, saints, and kings, marked by elaborate costumes, vigorous footwork, and a rich cultural mix of Malayalam, Tamil, and Latin Christian elements.

RMVHS, Perinjanam, also held the audience spellbound with Yohannante Thala, depicting the beheading of John the Baptist, with stark theatrical precision. The performance traced the biblical narrative of John’s imprisonment and execution by King Herod Antipas, carried out at the behest of his stepdaughter, culminating in the chilling image of the severed head presented on a platter.

Once dominated by boys due to its physical intensity, Chavittu Natakam today sees girls excelling in large numbers. “I’ve trained students for 13 years— around 1,700 in total. Around 1,500 of them are girls,” said trainer Thambi Payyappilly. “Girls may have less raw stamina, but they bring unmatched flexibility and grace to the movements.”

“Systematic practice makes all the difference,” added Swetha S., a Plus One student from Fatima Matha Girls HSS, Koompanpara.

With its heady mix of heritage, heroism, and youthful fire, Chavittu Natakam continues to be a pulsating highlight of the State School Arts Festival.