Preserving a rich theatre legacy
K.K. GOPALAKRISHNAN
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Kuttiyattom Kendra promises to be a centre of excellence for the promotion and popularisation of Koodiyattom.
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Keeping the flame alive: A Koodiyattom performance by Margi Madhu, Margi Sathi and Margi Raman.
The opening of Kuttiyattom Kendra in Thiruvananthapuram is an important step in the promotion and conservation of this ancient form of Sanskrit theatre.
The inaugural function was preceded by a Thayambaka on the mizhavu led by P.K. Narayanan Nambiar and followed by a short Koodiyattom performance by Margi Sathi, Margi Madhu and Margi Raman.
It was Kavalam who mooted the idea of a Koodiyattom centre after he took over as Vice-Chairman of the Akademi.
“After more than four decades, we endeavour into the third venture for the preservation and promotion of our ancient theatre tradition, though the Akademi started supporting Koodiyattom through several schemes since 1991,” said a jubilant Kavalam after the inauguration of the centre on May 27 by Governor R.L. Bhatia.
Tradition of theatre
Koodiyattom, a tradition of Sanskrit theatre, once prominent in India, is now found only in Kerala, mainly because this was once the ‘Kulathozhil’ (predominant profession of a caste) of the Chakyar community. It was the late masters like Mani Madhava Chakyar and Paimkulam Rama Chakyar who preserved this art form and extended its horizons.
Paimkulam Rama Chakyar took it outside the temple precincts in 1956 and presented it abroad, for the first time, in 1980 after mooting its institutionalised training through Kerala Kalamandalam in 1965. Mani Madhava Chakyar took the art outside Kerala for the first time. Gurus like Ammannur Madhava Chakyar later followed the duo and played a significant role in giving Koodiyattom the due platform that it always deserved.
Koodiyattom got a new lease of life when UNESCO, on May 18, 2001, proclaimed it as “a master-piece of the oral and intangible cultural heritage of humanity” and the most significant example of cultural expression, along with 18 other art forms of the world.
“Unlike the Manipuri and Kathak Kendras, the Kuttiyattom Kendra is not basically a training institution, but it will coordinate the functioning and funding of other training institutions in Kerala,” Kavalam explained.
Said Sajitha, deputy secretary documentation who is now on special duty to the Kendra, “The basic concept of the centre, as per Akademi guidelines is, among other things, to set up a library of international standard, make locally available all the collections of the archive of the Akademi and facilitate the research on Koodiyattom, along with related art forms of our ancient heritage like Theyyam and find more performance space. Our main function role would be that of a facilitator.”
A sum of Rs. 1 crore has been earmarked as initial funding. Like the Kathak Kendra set up in 1964 , the vice-chairman of the Akademi will be the ex-officio chairman of the Koodiyattam Kendra, with an expert committee that comprise Koodiyattom maestro Kalamandalam Paimkulam Raman Chakyar, veteran mizhavu maestro Panivathathilakan P.K. Narayanan Nambiar and scholar V. R. Prabodhachandran Nayar. The function was presided over by Ram Niwas Mirdha, Chairman of the Akademi. Several executive members of the Akademi, including secretary Jayant Kastuar (who paid a touching tribute to all the great masters of the art) and a host of Koodiyattom artistes, scholars and writers attended the function.
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