Frequently asked questions
What kinds of performing arts can a visitor see in India?
Dance-drama, folk dance and music, classical music, ritual and martial arts all have performances you can attend. Kerala has Kathakali, the Kalaripayattu martial art and the Theyyam ritual; Rajasthan has Kalbelia dancers, Manganiyar and Langa musicians and string puppets; Varanasi has Hindustani classical recitals. The setting shapes the evening: a stage in Kochi, a courtyard or camp in Rajasthan, a village shrine in North Kerala.
What is the difference between classical and folk performance?
Training and form. Kerala Tourism describes Kathakali as a codified dance-drama that takes several years of disciplined training before a debut, and Hindustani classical music passes down through lineages such as the Benares gharana. Kalbelia, by contrast, is an oral tradition with no texts or training manuals, according to UNESCO, carried by a community whose songs and dances are part of its way of life.
Is Kalbelia dance recognised by UNESCO?
Yes. The Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan were inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. UNESCO describes a community of former snake handlers who evoke that past in music and dance: women swirl in black skirts while men play the khanjari and the poongi. Kalbelia dancers are part of our Rajasthani folk evening.
Why is Varanasi known for classical music?
The city has produced generations of well-known Hindustani musicians and has its own stylistic lineage, the Benares gharana. In 2015 UNESCO made Varanasi a Creative City of Music; its profile traces the city's musical heritage back to Puranic literature and notes the teacher-to-pupil tradition, the guru-shishya parampara. Our classical music evening arranges a private recital in the old city.
Can I take photographs during a performance?
It depends on the art. Kathakali venues usually allow photographs during the make-up, and some let you photograph the performers in costume after the show; check the rules for the performance itself. Kalaripayattu venues usually permit photography. At Theyyam, which is worship rather than a show, follow your guide's lead on where to stand and when to take pictures.
Do Rajasthan's folk evenings run in summer?
Yes. The folk evening is available all year in most Rajasthan cities, in a haveli courtyard or on a fort terrace. A desert-camp setting is another matter: it is most comfortable from October to March, since Jaisalmer district's average May maximum is 41.6°C (IMD). In winter the desert cools quickly after sunset, so bring a warm layer.
About Performing Arts in India
To see the performing arts in India, go where each tradition lives: Kathakali dance-drama in Kochi, Kerala; Kalbelia dancers and hereditary desert musicians at a Rajasthani folk evening; and a Hindustani classical recital in Varanasi. Each fills an evening and comes with a private guide and transport to the venue, and neither Kathakali nor the recital needs any knowledge of the art.
Reviewed by Experience My India Editorial Team · Updated 20 Oct 2026
How to choose an evening
Kerala has the widest choice. Kathakali, a dance-drama that Kerala Tourism traces to the 17th century, tells its stories through hand gestures, eye movements and painted faces, and the Kochi evening listed here begins with the make-up. Our performing arts in Kerala page adds a Kalaripayattu demonstration in a lamp-lit training pit and, in North Kerala, the Theyyam ritual, which village shrines hold on their own calendar rather than for an audience.
Rajasthan's folk evening brings several traditions to one setting: Kalbelia dance, which UNESCO inscribed on its list of humanity's intangible cultural heritage in 2010, Manganiyar and Langa musicians, and at some venues kathputli string puppets, usually with a Rajasthani thali. It is staged in a haveli courtyard, on a fort terrace or at a desert camp in most of the state's main cities, and can usually be arranged at a few days' notice. If you are going to Jaisalmer anyway, the Thar Desert camel safari ends at a desert camp with folk music, dance and dinner.
Varanasi suits a listener. UNESCO made it a Creative City of Music in 2015, and our classical music evening in Varanasi is a live recital of sitar, sarod, tabla or voice, typically 45 minutes to an hour, in a ghat-side setting, a heritage haveli or a small performance space in the old city. Your guide can introduce the instruments and the Benares gharana, the city's own style, if you would like the context.
Choose by the kind of evening you want: theatre in Kochi, music and dance in a courtyard or camp in Rajasthan, or a quiet recital in Varanasi.
What to expect
Kathakali in Kochi is a two-part evening. Seating opens early so that you can watch the performers paint their faces: heroic and noble characters wear pacha, a face painted mainly green, and for some characters the white chutti along the jawline takes hours to build (Kerala Tourism). A narrated introduction explains the story and the gestures, then an excerpted scene is danced and mimed to live percussion and singing, and some venues allow photographs with the performers afterwards. Kerala Tourism notes that Kathakali was traditionally an overnight play and is now often performed for a few hours in special venues.
At a Rajasthani folk evening, Kalbelia women in flowing black skirts swirl in movements that echo a serpent, while the men play the khanjari, a percussion instrument, and the poongi, a wind instrument once used to capture snakes (UNESCO). Some venues invite guests to join the dancing; it is entirely optional.
The Varanasi recital is a listening evening, quieter and more intimate than most things you will do in the city, and some venues seat you on cushions or low seating. It works well after a day at the ghats or the evening Ganga Aarti.
When to go
Kathakali in Kochi and the Varanasi recital run all year. The folk evening is available year-round in most Rajasthan cities, but a desert-camp setting is most comfortable from October to March. In Jaisalmer district, IMD records an average May maximum of 41.6°C and an average January minimum of 6.9°C, and the temperature falls very fast after dusk in winter.
Two things are worth planning a trip around. Rajasthan's Department of Tourism holds the Desert Festival in Jaisalmer around January and February, with folk dancers, puppeteers and camel races. In North Kerala, the Theyyam season runs from about mid-October to late May, following the Malayalam calendar (Kerala Tourism); shrines set their own dates within it.
Practical points
- Arrive in time for the Kathakali make-up: it is one of the evening's two parts and easy to miss.
- At Theyyam, which is worship, dress modestly and follow your guide on where to stand.
- The folk evening's dinner is usually vegetarian-forward with non-vegetarian options; tell us about dietary needs when you book.
- A desert-camp evening turns cool after dark, even in the warmer months, so bring a layer.
- Theyyam cannot be booked to a fixed date. Tell us your Kerala dates early so that we can check the shrines' calendars along your route.
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