Artists bring the stage alive with Kathakali — a classical Indian dance form rooted in Kerala's theatrical tradition — during the Kathakali Festival hosted by the Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 18 September 2026. (Photo: NationPress)
Accomplished Kathakali artists grace the stage at the Kathakali Festival organised by the Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai, celebrating one of India's most visually elaborate classical dance forms on 18 September 2026. (Photo: NationPress)
A Kathakali artist undergoes the meticulous backstage makeup and costuming ritual before taking the stage at the Kathakali Festival hosted by the Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 18 September 2026. (Photo: NationPress)
The elaborate face paint and headdress of Kathakali — a process that can take several hours — is visible as an artist readies backstage at the Kalakshetra Foundation's festival in Chennai on 18 September 2026. (Photo: NationPress)
A Kathakali dancer completes final pre performance preparations at the Kalakshetra Foundation's Kathakali Festival in Chennai — an event spotlighting Kerala's classical storytelling dance tradition on 18 September 2026. (Photo: NationPress)
The Kalakshetra Foundation — one of India's premier cultural institutions based in Chennai — organised the Kathakali Festival to preserve and promote this classical Kerala art form, with backstage preparations under way on 18 September 2026. (Photo: NationPress)
The Kathakali Festival organised by the Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on 18 September 2026 drew visitors keen to witness the classical grandeur of Kathakali, with artists completing final backstage preparations before their stage debut. (Photo: NationPress)