Time-tested Legacy

The traditional arts forms of Kerala, especially Kathakali, the classical dance-drama and Mohiniyattam, the sole female classical dance heritage, were heading to extinction by the close of the 19^th century the reasons for which call for a profound analysis. The visible factors include breakdown of the Joint family system, perceptible decline of feudalism and the emergence of English educated elites distancing themselves from their own cultural heritage. It was at this critical juncture poet laureate Vallathol Narayana Menon and his close associate, Manakkulam Mukundaraja, put their heads together to resurrect the aforementionedart forms. Besides tackling the question of preserving the art forms, the poet, by doing so, nurtured the hope that the educated natives would attain self-realization by identifying themselves with their artistic heritage. Vallathol’s fame as poet, scholar and translator, helped the duo gather unstinted support from different quarters. On 09^th November 1930, Kerala Kalamandalam came into being first at the Madappaad of Kakkad Karanavappad in Kunnamkulam. Months later Kalamandalam moved to the Srinivasam Bungalow of Mukundaraja at Ambalapuram, close to Mulangunnathucavu in Thrissur District. Soon afterwards, the poet and his companion started an unending journey throughout Kerala to collect money from provincial satraps and chieftains to ensure the existence of KeralaKalamandalam. By 1936, they managed to buy a lush-green plot along the borders of the River Bharatapuzha at the Cheruthuruthy village, an ideal location for imparting training in traditional arts. Kalamandalam finally shifted its base to Cheruthuruthy much to the relief of its founders. 

The traditional arts forms of Kerala, especially Kathakali, the classical dance-drama and Mohiniyattam, the sole female classical dance heritage, were heading to extinction by the close of the 19^th century the reasons for which call for a profound analysis. The visible factors include breakdown of the Joint family system, perceptible decline of feudalism and the emergence of English educated elites distancing themselves from their own cultural heritage. It was at this critical juncture poet laureate Vallathol Narayana Menon and his close associate, Manakkulam Mukundaraja, put their heads together to resurrect the afore mentioned art forms. Besides tackling the question of preserving the art forms, the poet, by doing so, nurtured the hope that the educated natives would attain self-realization by identifying themselves with their artistic heritage. Vallathol’s fame as poet, scholar and translator, helped the duo gather unstinted support from different quarters. On 09^th November 1930, Kerala Kalamandalam came into being first at the Madappaad of Kakkad Karanavappad in Kunnamkulam. Months later Kalamandalam moved to the Srinivasam Bungalow of Mukundaraja at Ambalapuram, close to Mulangunnathucavu in Thrissur District. Soon afterwards, the poet and his companion started an unending journey throughout Kerala to collect money from provincial satraps and chieftains to ensure the existence of KeralaKalamandalam. By 1936, they managed to buy a lush-green plot along the borders of the River Bharatapuzha at the village of Cheruthuruthy, an ideal location for imparting training in traditional arts. Kalamandalam finally shifted its base to Cheruthuruthy much to the relief of its founders. 

Public domain and a democratic tenor were a novel experience for the teachers of Kathakali and Mohiniyattam as well as for the taught. Vallathol insisted on punishing schedules in the Kalaries (class-rooms) where veterans like Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, Guru Kunju Kurup and Korattikkara Krishna Panickar devoted themselves to grooming disciples. The Gurus spared little effort to retain the quintessence of the Gurukula system of training. At the invitation of Vallathol, distinguished artists in Kathakali from far and near came over to Kalamandalam. Some of them stayed back as teachers while others gave sterling recitals on special occasions and returned to their native places. 

Kalamandalam’s struggle for survival continued for years. Along with the performance-troupes and all alone, Vallathol and Mukundaraja repeatedly toured the length and breadth of India pleading provincial kings and influential persons for programmes and fee. At the Shantiniketan, Rabindranath Tagore could discern the aesthetic ingenuity of Kathakali and his support proved instrumental for Vallathol in securing financial assistance from several dignitaries in northern India. None of the tours he undertook ensured solid and substantial aid from any sources whatsoever. The Second World War and its consequences shattered the dream of Vallathol to undertake a tour with the artists to Western Europe where he aspired to get higher remuneration for the recitals.

Braving all the odds, Kalamandalam carried on its journey through time. Many years after it was taken over by the Government of Cochin (1941), the institution was enlisted with the Department of Education, Government of Kerala. It was subsequently registered as a charitable society in the early 1970’s and it’s functioning, since then, came under the Department of Culture, Government of Kerala. Almost a decade following the demise of Vallathol(1958), the apex administration of Kalamandalam acquired a definite political colour dictated by the authorities in power. In the meanwhile Kerala’s major traditional performing arts thrived under the stewardship of this institution. Thullal, the solo-dance-theatre narrative, Panchavadyam (Thimila), the traditional temple-orchestra and Kutiyattam, the sole surviving Sanskrit theatre heritage in India, were added to the curriculum of Kalamandalam. 

Kalamandalam is till date globally renowned for its spectacular Kathakali recitals as its troupe was, for a long time, replete with top-ranking artists as actors, vocalists, instrumentalists and make-up artists. The troupe had travelled time and again to various countries all over the world for lecture-demonstrations, workshops and recitals. Its Kutiyattam troupe too toured within India and across the sea for performances and workshops. Both in the Kutiyattam and Mohiniyattam faculties, Kalamandalam had a handful of seasoned artists. There have been a consistent flow of western and eastern theatre practitioners, dancers, choreographers and research-scholars to Kalamandalam for an intimate understanding of the art forms within the Kalari and on stage. 

High School education was introduced at Kalamandalam in the early 1990’s following which Plus Two, Degree, Post-graduate, M Phil and doctoral programmes raised the academic orientations. The institution received deemed to be university status in the year 2006. Grooming of artists in the Kalari is a tiresome physical process coupled with the culturing of their mindscape with emotional and intellectual inputs. Academic empowerment of traditional arts is a different benchmark altogether. Kalamandalam is currently confronted with the challenge of harmonizing its artistic endeavours at the practical level with rigorous academic accomplishments.