Kathakali Students, Kalamandalam

Three young boys are being trained in Kathakali by their teacher. The deeply focused young boys hold body-strengthening postures with oiled skin and hair and wear only a loincloth. Their teacher is correcting one of the boy’s wrist postures. The students have bent knees and fists curling in front of them while a fourth boy’s hand peeks through the left edge of the photograph. Kalamandalam, a public institution that focuses on preserving the artistic practices of Kerala, believes in overall body and mind training. The training includes body endurance, a practice followed at the institution to date.

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A rolled cane mat rests on the far left in the background of this photograph beside which is a possibly traditional exercising equipment. There are three boys and a teacher in the foreground of this portrait-oriented photograph.