Podcast Summary: New Books Network – Leah Lowthorp on “Deep Cosmopolitanism: Kutiyattam, Dynamic Tradition, and Globalizing Heritage in Kerala, India”
Main Theme This podcast episode features a conversation between host Yadong Lee and author/professor Leah Lowthorp about her new book, “Deep Cosmopolitanism: Kutiyattam, Dynamic Tradition, and Globalizing Heritage in Kerala, India” (Indiana University Press, 2025). The discussion explores the intricate histories and contemporary politics of Kutiyattam, India’s ancient Sanskrit theater, and how this art form challenges Eurocentric assumptions about tradition, cosmopolitanism, and cultural heritage, particularly through its entanglement with UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) program.
Episode Overview
- Host: Yadong Lee (PhD Candidate, Tulane University; [01:07])
- Guest: Professor Leah Lowthorp (University of Oregon; cultural anthropologist and folklorist; [02:43])
- Book Focus: Ethnographic study of Kutiyattam (Kuriatam), dynamic tradition, cosmopolitan histories, actual practices, and politics of heritage recognition in Kerala, India.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Leah Lowthorp’s Path to Folklore & Kerala
[02:43 – 05:14]
- Folklore discovered through anthropology at UC Berkeley, inspired by folklorist Alan Dundees.
- Personal connection to India via her childhood friend and her aunt living in Kerala.
- Initial attraction to Kerala’s purported matriarchal society and Kutiyattam’s deep history.
“Taking an Intro to Folklore class ... is how I first discovered folklore ... When I was thinking of a field site ... I was just initially naturally drawn to India, wanting to learn more about it.”
— Leah Lowthorp [03:01]
2. The Origins and Depth of the Kutiyattam Project
[06:01 – 08:27]
- Interest sparked by UNESCO’s ICH program and its impact on local communities.
- Chose Kutiyattam for its millennium-old continuous practice and gender-inclusiveness.
- Personal transformation through fieldwork and close mentorship with artist Margi Usha.
“It was such an amazing art form and so, so rich in such an interesting area of the country with wonderfully talented, amazing people...”
— Leah Lowthorp [08:10]
3. What is Kutiyattam? Key Features & Questions
[09:01 – 12:52]
- Oldest continuously performed theater in the world (~10th century CE).
- Traditionally an upper-caste Hindu temple art, now more accessible.
- Unique focus on elaboration, detailed performance, and multi-day acts (up to 41 days).
- Performed in multiple languages: Sanskrit, Malayalam, Mudra gesture language.
- Central research questions: How does Kutiyattam’s history complicate definitions of cosmopolitanism, tradition, and modernity? Impact of global organizations (like UNESCO) and local transformations?
“Kutiyattam... is the oldest continuously performed theater in the world ... it really focuses on the elaboration and extension of each moment and each detail on stage...”
— Leah Lowthorp [09:05, 09:40]
4. Context: Kerala, Kutiyattam, and UNESCO
[14:05 – 19:20]
- Kerala’s unique cosmopolitanism: Ancient trade, religious diversity, history of European colonial presences, first large-scale democratically elected communist government.
- Kutiyattam as a product of the Sanskrit Cosmopolis, and matrilineal heritage.
- UNESCO’s ICH program as a southern/global critique of Eurocentric heritage paradigms, with folklorists/anthropologists pushing for valuing change and marginalized forms.
“Kerala is a really special state with a very unique history ... known today still for its religious diversity...”
— Leah Lowthorp [14:10]
5. Rethinking Tradition, Cosmopolitanism, and Heritage
[19:59 – 24:17]
- Kutiyattam’s practitioners insist tradition is living, dynamic, adaptive: "We are not a museum piece."
- The Vidushaka (comic interpreter) as a central agent of continual change.
- The book challenges the colonial-modernity binary—tradition is always modern, performed by modern individuals.
- Calls for anthropologists/folklorists to rethink Euro-American assumptions about “cosmopolitanism,” highlighting pre-modern, non-Western forms.
“The assertion that these artists are making—that tradition is always modern, right? It's always practiced by modern individuals for contemporary audiences.”
— Leah Lowthorp [21:47]
6. Deep Cosmopolitanism vs. UNESCO’s Heritage Paradigm
[25:42 – 28:44]
- “Deep cosmopolitanism” captures the thousand-year, multi-faceted, outward-looking evolution of Kutiyattam.
- UNESCO’s model (endangered local/safeguarded global) reflects a salvage paradigm and inadvertently perpetuates colonial, premodern stereotypes of non-Western traditions.
- Calls out the “white savior” logic subtly embedded in ICH recognition processes.
“UNESCO often characterizes ICH forms as localized forms that are endangered specifically by globalization and they thus need saving through ... UNESCO ... part of a salvage paradigm.”
— Leah Lowthorp [26:40]
7. Collaborative and Embodied Ethnography
[29:37 – 33:56]
- Fieldwork involved intensive apprenticeship, not just observation.
- Kinesthetic empathy: Understanding the art by literally embodying it.
- Collaboration and deep relationships with Kutiyattam artists, especially teacher Margi Usha, changed the focus from just UNESCO to the art’s longer, deeper histories.
- Expanded the research scope to capture artists’ own perspectives and agency.
“This was my attempt to put my own body on the line to try to understand Kutiyattam ... demonstrating my dedication ... it's an incredibly difficult art form, but wonderful at the same time.”
— Leah Lowthorp [30:37]
8. Kutiyattam, Communist Cultural Politics, and Malayali Identity
[34:59 – 39:31]
- Communism in Kerala adapted to local context; many communist leaders were Brahmins.
- Instead of rejecting elite temple arts like Kutiyattam as “feudal,” the movement incorporated them into Malayali regional heritage.
- Shifted the locus of valuable culture from folk to elite, but with new, inclusive narratives.
“Ironically, actually, elite high culture then became the predominant heritage of the state, rather than local folk forms.”
— Leah Lowthorp [39:20]
9. Shifting Scales of Power: Royal, Regional, National, Global
[41:04 – 45:47]
- Kutiyattam’s status and meanings have adapted as centers of authority have shifted—from temple and royal support, through colonialism, to the state, and then international/UNESCO frameworks.
- Each shift reconfigures how the art is used to define “valuable culture” and heritage, yet the tradition persists through change.
“Kutiyattam ... ride[s] through ... various and varying authority and power structures and ... remains fluid and changeable. And it's still here today and it's as amazing as ever.”
— Leah Lowthorp [45:38]
10. Takeaways for Scholars and Practitioners
[46:40 – 49:40]
- Advocates decoupling “tradition” from “modernity”; tradition is not merely a precursor, but fully modern.
- The work of decolonizing heritage paradigms is unfinished; UNESCO’s models often unconsciously perpetuate colonial hierarchies even as they do important work.
- Calls for ongoing critical engagement by UNESCO, anthropologists, and folklorists.
“This work is not finished and is ongoing ... To continue to conceptualize certain forms as endangered ... continues to perpetuate these colonial era hierarchies ... which I don't believe is [UNESCO's] intention...”
— Leah Lowthorp [48:41]
11. Next Projects and Broader Folklore Applications
[50:03 – 53:49]
- Dr. Lowthorp’s new project examines online folklore and narratives around genetic and assisted reproductive technologies, connecting heritage frameworks to the “heritage of humanity” concept in genomics.
- Analyses how expressive culture—like CRISPR humor on X (Twitter) or DNA test reveal videos on YouTube—mediates public understanding of science.
“It really shows that looking at folklore, expressive culture, performance, you can find, you can apply it to literally any topic. Right. Even CRISPR gene editing.”
— Leah Lowthorp [52:08]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “We are not a museum piece. Right. This is a living tradition that changes over time.”
— Leah Lowthorp [20:02] - “To study cosmopolitan cultural forms … without logically or chronologically presupposing either the authority of the Western experience or the models derived from that experience.”
— Paraphrased from Arjun Appadurai, cited by Leah Lowthorp [23:40] - “Trying to get as close to the worldview of the artists themselves, to get as close to that as I could. Of course, I’m not born and raised as a Kutiyattam artist … but trying my best to understand on their terms.”
— Leah Lowthorp [32:18]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Host & Book Introduction: 01:07–02:43
- Lowthorp’s Intellectual/Pedagogic Background: 02:43–05:14
- Project Origins & Fieldwork Experiences: 06:01–08:27
- Kutiyattam Essentials & Research Questions: 09:01–12:52
- Kerala’s Context & UNESCO ICH Background: 14:05–19:20
- Challenging Tradition & Modernity (Dynamism): 19:59–24:17
- Deep Cosmopolitanism vs. UNESCO Paradigm: 25:42–28:44
- Methodology: Collaborative Fieldwork: 29:37–33:56
- Kutiyattam & Communist Cultural Policy: 34:59–39:31
- Long-Durée, Shifting Power/Authority: 41:04–45:47
- Key Lessons & Decolonizing Heritage: 46:40–49:40
- Future Research on Genetics & Folklore: 50:03–53:49
Conclusion
Leah Lowthorp’s “Deep Cosmopolitanism” challenges prevailing narratives about heritage and cosmopolitanism, arguing for a more nuanced, dynamic understanding of tradition as always already modern and globally entangled. Through an embodied, collaborative ethnography of Kutiyattam in Kerala, the book highlights how local artists, state actors, and international institutions continually negotiate what counts as valuable culture, reminding both scholars and practitioners that the decolonizing work of cultural heritage is ongoing.
Recommended for:
Anyone interested in South Asian studies, folklore, performance studies, anthropology, heritage policy, decolonial critique, and the UNESCO ICH program.
Summary prepared by podcast summarizer – aiming to capture the episode’s richness, direct voice, and key academic contributions for listeners from all backgrounds.