List of traditional Indian theatre
Updated: 11/6/2025, 1:18:08 AM Wikipedia source
Kutiyattam is the only surviving specimen of the ancient Sanskrit theatre, thought to have originated around the beginning of the Common Era, and is officially recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In addition, many forms of Indian folk theatre abound. They are listed below.
Tables
Akhyana
Akhyana
Theatre
Akhyana
State/Region
Gujarat
Features
Enactment of religious episodes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata by Mana-bhatas
Exponents
Premanand Bhatt, Narsinh Mehta, Acharya Hemachandra
Ankia Naat
Ankia Naat
Theatre
Ankia Naat
State/Region
Assam
Features
Written in an artificial old medieval period poetic Assamese and Maithili mixed language called Brajavali and are primarily centered on Krishna, which usually combine live instruments and singers, dance and elaborate costumes in production
Bayalata
Bayalata
Theatre
Bayalata
State/Region
Karnataka
Bhand pather
Bhand pather
Theatre
Bhand pather
State/Region
Kashmir
Features
it consists of unique combinations of dance, drama and acting
Bhaona
Bhaona
Theatre
Bhaona
State/Region
Assam
Bhavai
Bhavai
Theatre
Bhavai
State/Region
Gujarat
Burrakatha
Burrakatha
Theatre
Burrakatha
State/Region
Andhra Pradesh
Chhau
Chhau
Theatre
Chhau
State/Region
Jharkhand, West Bengal & Orissa
Dashavatar
Dashavatar
Theatre
Dashavatar
State/Region
Maharashtra and Goa
Harikatha
Harikatha
Theatre
Harikatha
State/Region
Southern India
Hela Khayal Dangal
Hela Khayal Dangal
Theatre
Hela Khayal Dangal
State/Region
Rajasthan
Jatra
Jatra
Theatre
Jatra
State/Region
West Bengal
Kalaripayattu
Kalaripayattu
Theatre
Kalaripayattu
State/Region
Kerala
Kathakali
Kathakali
Theatre
Kathakali
State/Region
Kerala
Marathi Keertan
Marathi Keertan
Theatre
Marathi Keertan
State/Region
Maharashtra
Kathakatha
Kathakatha
Theatre
Kathakatha
State/Region
West Bengal
Kudiyattam
Kudiyattam
Theatre
Kudiyattam
State/Region
Kerala
Maach
Maach
Theatre
Maach
State/Region
Madhya Pradesh
Naqal
Naqal
Theatre
Naqal
State/Region
Punjab
Manipuri Sankirtana
Manipuri Sankirtana
Theatre
Manipuri Sankirtana
State/Region
Manipur
Nautanki
Nautanki
Theatre
Nautanki
State/Region
Uttar Pradesh
Odissi
Odissi
Theatre
Odissi
State/Region
Orissa
Ojapali
Ojapali
Theatre
Ojapali
State/Region
Assam
Padayani
Padayani
Theatre
Padayani
State/Region
Kerala
Pala
Pala
Theatre
Pala
State/Region
Orissa
Pandavani
Pandavani
Theatre
Pandavani
State/Region
Madhya Pradesh
Powada
Powada
Theatre
Powada
State/Region
Maharashtra
Raas Leela (Raas Mahotsav)
Raas Leela (Raas Mahotsav)
Theatre
Raas Leela (Raas Mahotsav)
State/Region
Assam
Ramlila
Ramlila
Theatre
Ramlila
State/Region
Northern India
Raslila
Raslila
Theatre
Raslila
State/Region
North East India
Rabana Chhaya
Rabana Chhaya
Theatre
Rabana Chhaya
State/Region
Orissa
Features
Shadow puppetry
Swang
Swang
Theatre
Swang
State/Region
Rajasthan
Swang
Swang
Theatre
Swang
State/Region
Uttar Pradesh
Tamasha
Tamasha
Theatre
Tamasha
State/Region
Maharashtra
Tang-ta
Tang-ta
Theatre
Tang-ta
State/Region
Manipur
Terukkuttu
Terukkuttu
Theatre
Terukkuttu
State/Region
Tamil Nadu
Theyyam
Theyyam
Theatre
Theyyam
State/Region
Kerala
Tholpavakoothu
Tholpavakoothu
Theatre
Tholpavakoothu
State/Region
Kerala
Tiatr
Tiatr
Theatre
Tiatr
State/Region
Goa
Wari-leeba
Wari-leeba
Theatre
Wari-leeba
State/Region
Manipur
Yakshagana
Yakshagana
Theatre
Yakshagana
State/Region
Karnataka
| Theatre | State/Region | Originated | Features | Exponents |
| Akhyana | Gujarat | Enactment of religious episodes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata by Mana-bhatas | Premanand Bhatt, Narsinh Mehta, Acharya Hemachandra | |
| Ankia Naat | Assam | Written in an artificial old medieval period poetic Assamese and Maithili mixed language called Brajavali and are primarily centered on Krishna, which usually combine live instruments and singers, dance and elaborate costumes in production | ||
| Bayalata | Karnataka | |||
| Bhand pather | Kashmir | it consists of unique combinations of dance, drama and acting | ||
| Bhaona | Assam | |||
| Bhavai | Gujarat | |||
| Burrakatha | Andhra Pradesh | |||
| Chhau | Jharkhand, West Bengal & Orissa | |||
| Dashavatar | Maharashtra and Goa | |||
| Harikatha | Southern India | |||
| Hela Khayal Dangal | Rajasthan | |||
| Jatra | West Bengal | |||
| Kalaripayattu | Kerala | |||
| Kathakali | Kerala | |||
| Marathi Keertan | Maharashtra | |||
| Kathakatha | West Bengal | |||
| Kudiyattam | Kerala | |||
| Maach | Madhya Pradesh | |||
| Naqal | Punjab | |||
| Manipuri Sankirtana | Manipur | |||
| Nautanki | Uttar Pradesh | |||
| Odissi | Orissa | |||
| Ojapali | Assam | |||
| Padayani | Kerala | |||
| Pala | Orissa | |||
| Pandavani | Madhya Pradesh | |||
| Powada | Maharashtra | |||
| Raas Leela (Raas Mahotsav) | Assam | |||
| Ramlila | Northern India | |||
| Raslila | North East India | |||
| Rabana Chhaya | Orissa | Shadow puppetry | ||
| Swang | Rajasthan | |||
| Swang | Uttar Pradesh | |||
| Tamasha | Maharashtra | |||
| Tang-ta | Manipur | |||
| Terukkuttu | Tamil Nadu | |||
| Theyyam | Kerala | |||
| Tholpavakoothu | Kerala | |||
| Tiatr | Goa | |||
| Wari-leeba | Manipur | |||
| Yakshagana | Karnataka |
References
- Theatres of Independence: Drama, Theory, And Urban Performance in Indiahttps://books.google.com/books?id=mLQaz-12Eo8C
- Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guidehttps://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC
- Encyclopaedia of Indian Literaturehttps://books.google.com/books?id=ObFCT5_taSgC