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Bakavadham (The Slaying of Baka) is a
Kathakali
Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...
play( Aattakatha) written by Kottayam Thampuran (also known as Kottayathu Thampuran) in
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
.Based on the
Mahabharatha
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruks ...
, the play narrates the events surrounding the escape of the
Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledg ...
s from the house of Lac which was built by the
Kaurava
''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his wif ...
s as a trap. They escape to a forest where
Bhima
In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The ''Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. Af ...
meets and marries Hidumbi. Following this, the Pandavas move to a village named Ekachakra, where they live in disguise. While in Ekachakra, Bhima slays Baka, a demon who has been terrorizing the countryside.
The four plays of Kottayam Thampuran, namely,
Kirmeeravadham
Kirmeeravadham (The Slaying of Kirmeera) is a Kathakali play( Aattakatha) written by Kottayam Thampuran (also known as Kottayathu Thampuran) in Malayalam. Based on the Mahabharatha, the story concerns itself with events in the course of the fore ...
, Bakavadham,
Kalyanasaugandhikam
{{Use Indian English, date=December 2019
Kalyanasaugandhikam is a Kathakali play ( ''aattakatha'') attributed to Kottayathu Thampuran. Based on the Mahabharatha, the play narrates an episode from the life of the Pandava princes in exile. Bheema set ...
and
Kalakeyavadham
Kalakeyavadham (The Slaying of Kalakeya) is a Kathakali play ( Aattakatha) written by Kottayam Thampuran (also known as Kottayathu Thampuran) in Malayalam.Based on the Mahabharatha, the play describes the events surrounding the Pandava prince Arju ...