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The Mahabharata knows many different versions and interpretations, because the epic has been and is adapted time and again to the demands of the present times, tastes, local context and customs. The epic has found its way into many different Indian performance traditions, a number of which feature in the Kuttu Festival 2005.
Local audiences are most familiar with the Kattaikkuttu theatre, which is in the Tamil language and which continues to find local patronage. Also within the Kattaikkuttu tradition the selection of episodes from the Mahabharata and the interpretation of these episodes and its principal characters differ from (sub) style to (sub) style and from company to company. The Mahabharata performances that feature in the Kuttu Festival 2005 are condensed versions of longer, all-night episodes. Summaries of these stories can be found in the Festival Programme. Because of the shorting of the performance time it may not always be possible to show all the characters on stage.
One of the most popular occasions for Kattaikkuttu performances are local Paratam (Mahabharata) Festivals in honour of Draupadi, the epic's heroine who is also worshipped as a Goddess in the northern parts of Tamil Nadu. Towards the end of most Paratam Festivals, which may have a duration of more than forty days, the Mahabharata will be performed starting with an episode focusing on Krishna's birth and Draupadi's Marriage through the Mahabharata war up to the final battle between Bhima and Duryodhana and the coronation of Dharmaraja. The Kuttu Festival 2005's Mahabharata performances loosely follow the cycle of performances and rituals found at village Paratam festivals.
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