Devotee of Kerala culture
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Prem Manasvi organised a Nangiarkoothu on the premises of his centuries-old mana.
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Prem Manasvi welcoming guests to a Nangiarkoothu at Alakkattu Mana.
AT A time when many of the manas (ancestral homes of Namboodiris) are being destroyed, Alakkattu Mana in Perumpilissery, near Thrissur, has been spared. The owner and occupant of the mana for the last 10 years is Prem Manasvi, a German citizen. A great fan of the performing arts, he never misses a cultural programmes in and around Thrissur. Prem's decision to host a Nangiarkoothu by Usha Nangiar on the premises of the centuries-old mana last week was welcomed by all.
Osho commune
He came to India in 1991 for the first time as a visitor to Osho's commune in Pune. He became a sanyasi and adopted the name of his choice, Prem Manasvi, in lieu of Heinz Johannes Paul.
Manasvi explained that his tryst with Kerala was quite accidental: "For most of my life, I had never heard about this place. I came here on an invitation and fell in love with God's Own Country. I settled down in an old mana with a lot of greenery around and became a part of this country."
The dilapidated mana was refurbished without altering its architecture or layout. Even after 10 years, there are no visible additions or deletions to the structure. The polished floors and the walls speak of the care lavished on his home that he named `Nalukettu.' The three-acre sixty five-cent compound now looks like a heritage garden with a lot of artistically carved granite structures. The greenery makes it difficult for the sunlight to reach the ground. A couple of banyan trees vouch for the antiquity of the mana. Carefully designed illumination provides an ethereal ambience to the entire compound. The specially designed granite wall leading to the pond served as a back curtain for the improvised stage where Usha Nangiar presented `Kamsavadham.' Below the thatched roof, which was decorated with tender coconut leaves, the tiled floor caught the flickering lights of the traditional lamps. Scores of chirads dotted the walls and pathways in the compound. In the absence of electric lights, the traditional oil lamps provided the only illumination for the artiste.
New space
Explaining the need for a new space for traditional performances, Manasvi says that over the past decade he had seen many performances in "non-supportive or disturbing environments," which he thought was a disgrace, both to the art form and the artistes.
Manasvi says, "I have not the slightest doubt that everybody enjoyed the ambience we had created, that it enhanced the beauty of the performance and that it contributed to make the performance an unforgettable cultural and social event."
A former teacher, Manasvi has been a poor student of Malayalam all these years.
But the non-verbal communication that takes place in performances, especially like Koodiyattom, go a long way in making him aware of the rich cultural heritage of this land, he says.
G.S. Paul
Photo: K.K. Najeeb
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