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.[1] They are listed below.
| Theatre | State/Region | Originated | Features | Exponents | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enactment of religious episodes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavata by Mana-bhatas | |||||
| 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 | |||||
| it consists of unique combinations of dance, drama and acting | |||||
| Hela Khayal Dangal | Rajasthan | ||||
| Kathakatha | |||||
| Kerala | |||||
| Pala | |||||
| Rabana Chhaya | Orissa | Shadow puppetry | |||
| Tang-ta | |||||
| Tholpavakoothu | Kerala | ||||
| Wari-leeba | |||||