Mohiniyattam, (Malayalam: മോഹിനിയാട്ടം), is an Indian classical dance form that developed and remained popular in the state of Kerala
Kathakali is another classical dance form of Kerala
Mohiniyattam dance gets its name from the word Mohini – a historical enchantress avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, who helps the good prevail over evil by developing her feminine powers
Mohiniyattam’s roots, like all classical Indian dances, are in the Natya Shastra – the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text on performance arts
However, it follows the Lasya style described in Natya Shastra, that is a dance which is delicate, eros-filled and feminine
It is traditionally a solo dance performed by women after extensive training, though nowadays men can also perform the dance
The repertoire of Mohiniyattam includes music in the Carnatic style, singing and acting a play through the dance, where the recitation may be either by a separate vocalist or the dancer themselves
The song is typically in Malayalam-Sanskrit hybrid called Manipravalam
The earliest mention of the word is found in the 16th-century legal text Vyavaharamala, but the likely roots of the dance are older
The dance was systematized in the 18th century, was ridiculed as a Devadasi prostitution system during the colonial British Raj, banned by a series of laws from 1931 through 1938, a ban that was protested and partially repealed in 1940
The socio-political conflict ultimately led to renewed interest, revival and reconstruction of Mohiniyattam by the people of Kerala, particularly the poet Vallathol Narayana Menon