Kutiyattam Kendra conducted 'Natyadharmi 2017', the Kutiyattam Festival of Kerala

'Natyadharmi 2017, a festival to celebrate the aesthetics of Kutiyattam and its allied art-forms was organized by SNA Kutiyattam Kendra and Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi from 17th to 21st  December 2017 at Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Thrissur. Kutiyattam is an ancient and surviving Sanskrit theatre tradition of Kerala and UNESCO has recognized this art form as an intangible cultural heritage of the humanity.

The five-day festival of classical theatre of Kerala featured a total of 32 performances including Kutiyattam, Nangiarkoothu, Prabandhakoothu, Padakam and Mizhavu orchestrations. Interactive sessions and lectures by eminent theatre personalities were incorporated in the festival. 'Chamayam', an exclusive exhibition of costumes and ornaments used in Kutiyattam was also arranged as part of the festival.

The festival commenced with Mizhavu Thayambaka by Kalamandalam Eswranunni and team. Masters of Kutiyattam, Padmasree P K Narayanan Nambiar, Padmasree Kalamandalam Sivan Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Girija Devi, Ammannur Parameswaran Chakyar, Kalamandalam Rama Chakyar as well as the young artists from different schools of Kutiyattam participated in the festival. Sanskrit plays were presented as Kutiyattam in the evenings of these days by Mani Madhava Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam(Lakkidi), Margi Theatre(Thiruvananthapuram), Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University(Cheruthuruthy), Ammannur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam (Irinjalakuda) and Nepathya (Aluva). 

The valedictory function on the concluding day was presided over by Dr. K.G. Paulose, Former Vice Chancellor, Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University.  Prof. K.D. Tripathy, Centennial Chair Professor of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi presented a lecture on 'Samanyabhinayam & Chitrabhinayam in Bharata's Natyasastra'. Dr. Sudha Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director of Sahapedia, New Delhi delivered the valedictory address. Dr. Ettumanoor Kannan, Director of SNA Kutiyattam Kendra, expressed his immense gratitude to all the artistes, academicians, students and public for making this event a success.