Punarjani Traditional Village

A purpose-built theatre 8 km out of town on the Pallivasal road, and the one place in Munnar to see Kerala's classical stage arts without going down to Kochi. The hour-long Kathakali dance-drama starts at 5 PM, but the part worth arriving early for is the make-up: come by 4 PM and you can watch the layered green and red face being built up stroke by stroke. At 6 PM a Kalaripayattu martial-arts demonstration takes over, with weapon routines and fire. Tickets run roughly Rs 200–500 depending on seating, and it is a sound plan for a misted-in evening.

Watch the Kathakali make-up go on before the show, then a Kalaripayattu fire demonstration