The Hindu : Kerala News : Reviving a ritual performance

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Thursday, Jan 04, 2007
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Kerala

Reviving a ritual performance

CLASSICAL THEATRE: Yadukrishnan's recital at the Lakshmana Temple at Moozhikkulam.

The Lakshmana Temple at Moozhikkulam was one of the temples in Kerala where the classical theatre form of Koodiyattom was performed ritualistically every year. This ritualistic performance of Koodiyattom, or `Adiyanthirakkoothu,' played a significant role in helping this art form survive through centuries.

The annual 41-day-long performance of Koodiyattom at Moozhikkulam Lakshmana Temple has been discontinued for the past 10 years owing to technical reasons. The performance was to be held during November-December. However, on December 29, which happened to be the date on which the ritual performance would have concluded, the `arangettam' of a young student of Koodiyattom was held at the temple.

Yadukrishnan, a student of Nepathya, Moozhikkulam, who had trained under Guru Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakyar and Margi Madhu, performed his `arangettam' following the traditional pattern on two days.

The `arangettam' began with `Purappadu,' followed by `Mizhavochappeduthal' (sounding of mizhavu), `Akkitha Chollal' (rendering of the vandana slokas), performance of `Keshadipadam' (description from head to toe) of Paramashiva and Parvathy and `Dikpalavandanam' (saluting the presiding deities of the eight directions), concluding with `Nritha.'

The `arangettam' continued the next day with the performance of `Nirvahana,' the flashback technique used in Koodiyattom to delineate the earlier history of a particular character before entering the main body of the story. Yadukrishnan performed the part in which Jaya and Vijaya, the `dwarapalakas' of Mahavishnu, getting a curse till the part where Hiranyakashipu gets a boon from the god.

Yadukrishnan, a student of VII standard at Holy Child English Medium School, Snehagiri, is the nephew of Kalamandalam Balasubramanian, senior Kathakali performer and head of the Department of Kathakali at Kerala Kalamandalam. Accompaniment was provided by Kalamandalam Ratheesh Bhas, Kalamandalam Anoop and Nepathya Jinesh on mizhavu, with Harikrishnan on edakka. Indu G., and Krishnapriya kept accompaniment on kuzhithalam.

RENU RAMANATH

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