Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar and his troupe performing Thoranayudham (part of Bhasa's play Abhiṣeka Nataka based on the epic Ramayana) Koodiyattam (1962, Chennai)
Koodiyattam, meaning "combined acting" in Malayalam, combines Sanskrit theatre performance with elements of traditional koothu. It is traditionally performed in temple theatres known as koothambalams. It is the only surviving art form that uses drama from ancient Sanskrit theatre. It has a documented history of a thousand years in Kerala, but its origins are not known. Koodiyattam and Chakyar koothu were among the dramatized dance worship services in the temples of ancient India, particularly Kerala. Both koodiyattam and Chakyar koothu originated from the ancient art form koothu, which is mentioned several times in Sangam literature, and the epigraphs of the subsequent Pallava, Pandiyan, Chera, and Chola periods. Inscriptions related to koothu can be seen in temples at Tanjore, Tiruvidaimaruthur, Vedaranyam, Tiruvarur, and Omampuliyur. They were treated as an integral part of worship services, alongside the singing of Tevaram and Prabandam hymns.[citation needed]
Ancient kings are among those listed as authors of works for these services. There is evidence of these across the ancient subcontinent during the Chola and Pallava periods. A Pallava king called Rajasimha has been credited with authoring the play Kailasodharanam in Tamil, which has the topic of Ravana becoming subject to Siva's anger and being subdued mercilessly for this.
It is believed that Kulasekhara Varma, a medieval king of the Chera Perumal dynasty, reformed koodiyattam, introducing the local language for Vidusaka and structuring the presentation of the play into well-defined units. He himself wrote two plays, Subhadradhananjayam and Tapatisamvarana and made arrangements for their presentation on stage with the help of a Brahmin friend (Thozhan). These plays are still performed. Apart from these, the plays traditionally presented include Ascaryacudamani of Saktibhadra, Kalyanasaugandhika of Nilakantha, Bhagavadajjuka of Bodhayana, Nagananda of Harsa, and many plays ascribed to Bhasa, including Abhiseka and Pratima.
Koodiyattam performer Kapila Venu
Instruments
Mizhavu kept in a mizhavana (a wooden box made especially to keep mizhavu)
Traditionally, the main musical instruments used in koodiyattam are the mizhavu, kuzhitalam, edakka, kurumkuzhal, and sankhu. The mizhavu, the most prominent of these, is a percussion instrument that is played by a person of the Ambalavas Nambiar caste, accompanied by Nangyaramma playing the kuzhithalam (a type of cymbal).
Traditionally, koodiyattam has been performed by Chakyars (a subcaste of Kerala Hindus) and by Nangyaramma (women of the AmbalavasiNambiar caste). The name "koodiyattam", meaning playing or performing together, is thought to refer to the presence of multiple actors on stage who act in rhythm with the beats of the mizhavu drummers. Alternatively, it may also be a reference to a common practice in Sanskrit drama where a single actor who has performed solo for several nights is joined by another.[3]
The main actor is a Chakyar who performs the ritualistic koothu and koodiyattam inside the temple or in the koothambalam. Chakyar women, Illotammas, are not allowed to participate. Instead, the female roles are played by Nangyaramma. Koodiyattam performances are often lengthy and elaborate, ranging from 12 to 150 hours spread across several nights. A complete Koodiyattam performance consists of three parts. The first of these is the purappadu where an actor performs a verse along with the nritta aspect of dance. Following this is the nirvahanam where the actor, using abhinaya, presents the mood of the main character of the play. Then there is the nirvahanam, a retrospective, which takes the audience up to the point where the actual play begins. The final part of the performance is the koodiyattam, which is the play itself. While the first two parts are solo acts, koodiyattam can have as many characters as are required to perform on the stage.[4]
The elders of the Chakyar community traditionally taught the artform to their youngsters. It was performed only by Chakyars until the 1950s. In 1955, Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar performed Kutiyattam outside the temple for the first time,[5] for which he faced many problems from the hardline Chakyar community. In his own words:
My own people condemned my action (performing Koothu and Kutiyattam outside the precincts of the temples), Once, after I had given performances at Vaikkom, they even thought about excommunicating me. I desired that this art should survive the test of time. That was precisely why I ventured outside the temple.[6]
In 1962, under the leadership of art and Sanskrit scholar V. Raghavan, Sanskrit Ranga of Madras invited Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar to perform koodiyattam in Chennai. Thus for the first time in history koodiyattam was performed outside Kerala.[7][8] They presented over three nights koodiyattam scenes from the plays Abhiṣeka, Subhadrādhanañjaya and Nāgānda.[9]
Koodiyattam face makeup
In early 1960s Maria Christoffer Byrski, a Polish student doing research in Indian theatres at Banaras Hindu University, studied koodiyattam with Mani Madhava Chakyar and became the first non-Chakyar/nambiar to learn the art form. He stayed in Guru's home at Killikkurussimangalam and studied in the traditional Gurukula way.[citation needed]
Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, who in the 1980s became one of the first koodiyattam performers to present this art to an international audience.
Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakyar, who in 1981 became the first Residential Guru at Margi, an institution promoting traditional art forms of Kerala. He was a cousin of Ammannur Madhava Chakyar.
Mani Damodara Chakyar, who is Mani Madhava Chakkiar's disciple and nephew, is also a performer of traditional devotional koodiyattams.
Decline
Koodiyattam traditionally was an exclusive art form performed in special venues called koothambalams in Hindu temples and access to these performances was restricted to only caste Hindus. Also, performances can take up to forty days to complete. The collapse of the feudal order in the nineteenth century in Kerala curtailed the patronage of koodiyattam artists, and they faced serious financial difficulties. Following a revival in the early twentieth century, Koodiyattam is once again facing a lack of funding, leading to a crisis in the profession.[11]UNESCO has called for the creation of a network of koodiyattam institutions and gurukalams to promote the transmission of the art form to future generations and for the development of new audiences besides fostering greater academic research in it. Natanakairali in Irinjalakuda is one of the most prominent institutions in the field of koodiyattam revival. The Margi Theatre Group in Thiruvananthapuram is another organisation dedicated to the revival of kathakali and koodiyattom in Kerala.[12] Also, Nepathya is an institution promoting koodiyattam and related art forms at Moozhikkulam.[13] The Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, has awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest award for performing artists, to kutiyattam artists like Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri (2007), Painkulam Raman Chakyar (2010) and Painkulam Damodara Chakyar (2012).[14]
^* Bhargavinilayam, Das (1999), , Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala, ISBN81-86365-78-8, archived from the original on 15 February 2008
^Mani Madhava Chakkyar: The Master at Work, K.N. Panikar, Sangeet Natak Akademi New Delhi, 1994
^The Samskrita Ranga Annual, Samskrita Ranga, Madras, 1963, p. 89
^ Venkatarama Raghavan, A. L. Mudaliar (1968), Bibliography of the Books, Papers & Other Contributions of Dr. V. Raghavan, New Order Book Co., India, p. 370
^The Samskrita Ranga Annual, Samskrita Ranga, Madras, 1967, p. 77
The Nātya Shāstra, an ancient work of dramatic theory where Bharata Muni describes the Sanskrit theatre of the Gupta Empire; Koodiyattam is believed to preserve some aspects of the performance style of that period.
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Koodiyattam news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Koodiyattam Malayalam ക ട യ ട ട IAST kuṭiyaṭṭaṁ lit combined act is a traditional performing art form in the state of Kerala India It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre with elements of Koothu an ancient performing art from the Sangam era It is officially recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity 1 2 Kutiyattam Sanskrit theatreUNESCO Intangible Cultural HeritageGuru Mani Madhava Chakyar and his troupe performing Thoranayudham part of Bhasa s play Abhiṣeka Nataka based on the epic Ramayana Koodiyattam 1962 Chennai CountryKerala IndiaDomainsPerforming arts dance Reference10RegionAsia and the PacificInscription historyInscription2008 3rd session ListRepresentative Contents 1 Origin 2 Instruments 3 Performance style 4 Noted artists 5 Decline 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksOrigin Edit Koodiyattam Koodiyattam meaning combined acting in Malayalam combines Sanskrit theatre performance with elements of traditional koothu It is traditionally performed in temple theatres known as koothambalams It is the only surviving art form that uses drama from ancient Sanskrit theatre It has a documented history of a thousand years in Kerala but its origins are not known Koodiyattam and Chakyar koothu were among the dramatized dance worship services in the temples of ancient India particularly Kerala Both koodiyattam and Chakyar koothu originated from the ancient art form koothu which is mentioned several times in Sangam literature and the epigraphs of the subsequent Pallava Pandiyan Chera and Chola periods Inscriptions related to koothu can be seen in temples at Tanjore Tiruvidaimaruthur Vedaranyam Tiruvarur and Omampuliyur They were treated as an integral part of worship services alongside the singing of Tevaram and Prabandam hymns citation needed Ancient kings are among those listed as authors of works for these services There is evidence of these across the ancient subcontinent during the Chola and Pallava periods A Pallava king called Rajasimha has been credited with authoring the play Kailasodharanam in Tamil which has the topic of Ravana becoming subject to Siva s anger and being subdued mercilessly for this It is believed that Kulasekhara Varma a medieval king of the Chera Perumal dynasty reformed koodiyattam introducing the local language for Vidusaka and structuring the presentation of the play into well defined units He himself wrote two plays Subhadradhananjayam and Tapatisamvarana and made arrangements for their presentation on stage with the help of a Brahmin friend Thozhan These plays are still performed Apart from these the plays traditionally presented include Ascaryacudamani of Saktibhadra Kalyanasaugandhika of Nilakantha Bhagavadajjuka of Bodhayana Nagananda of Harsa and many plays ascribed to Bhasa including Abhiseka and Pratima Koodiyattam performer Kapila VenuInstruments Edit Mizhavu kept in a mizhavana a wooden box made especially to keep mizhavu Traditionally the main musical instruments used in koodiyattam are the mizhavu kuzhitalam edakka kurumkuzhal and sankhu The mizhavu the most prominent of these is a percussion instrument that is played by a person of the Ambalavas Nambiar caste accompanied by Nangyaramma playing the kuzhithalam a type of cymbal Performance style Edit Koodiyattam Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar as Ravana Traditionally koodiyattam has been performed by Chakyars a subcaste of Kerala Hindus and by Nangyaramma women of the Ambalavasi Nambiar caste The name koodiyattam meaning playing or performing together is thought to refer to the presence of multiple actors on stage who act in rhythm with the beats of the mizhavu drummers Alternatively it may also be a reference to a common practice in Sanskrit drama where a single actor who has performed solo for several nights is joined by another 3 The main actor is a Chakyar who performs the ritualistic koothu and koodiyattam inside the temple or in the koothambalam Chakyar women Illotammas are not allowed to participate Instead the female roles are played by Nangyaramma Koodiyattam performances are often lengthy and elaborate ranging from 12 to 150 hours spread across several nights A complete Koodiyattam performance consists of three parts The first of these is the purappadu where an actor performs a verse along with the nritta aspect of dance Following this is the nirvahanam where the actor using abhinaya presents the mood of the main character of the play Then there is the nirvahanam a retrospective which takes the audience up to the point where the actual play begins The final part of the performance is the koodiyattam which is the play itself While the first two parts are solo acts koodiyattam can have as many characters as are required to perform on the stage 4 The elders of the Chakyar community traditionally taught the artform to their youngsters It was performed only by Chakyars until the 1950s In 1955 Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar performed Kutiyattam outside the temple for the first time 5 for which he faced many problems from the hardline Chakyar community In his own words My own people condemned my action performing Koothu and Kutiyattam outside the precincts of the temples Once after I had given performances at Vaikkom they even thought about excommunicating me I desired that this art should survive the test of time That was precisely why I ventured outside the temple 6 In 1962 under the leadership of art and Sanskrit scholar V Raghavan Sanskrit Ranga of Madras invited Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar to perform koodiyattam in Chennai Thus for the first time in history koodiyattam was performed outside Kerala 7 8 They presented over three nights koodiyattam scenes from the plays Abhiṣeka Subhadradhananjaya and Naganda 9 Koodiyattam face makeup In early 1960s Maria Christoffer Byrski a Polish student doing research in Indian theatres at Banaras Hindu University studied koodiyattam with Mani Madhava Chakyar and became the first non Chakyar nambiar to learn the art form He stayed in Guru s home at Killikkurussimangalam and studied in the traditional Gurukula way citation needed Noted artists Edit The rasa emotion called Sringaram lust performed by Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar Nayaka Hero King Udayana in Swapnavasavadattam Kutiyattam Margi Madhu as Ravanan at Nepathya Mani Madhava Chakyar 10 Ammannur Madhava Chakyar who in the 1980s became one of the first koodiyattam performers to present this art to an international audience Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakyar who in 1981 became the first Residential Guru at Margi an institution promoting traditional art forms of Kerala He was a cousin of Ammannur Madhava Chakyar Mani Damodara Chakyar who is Mani Madhava Chakkiar s disciple and nephew is also a performer of traditional devotional koodiyattams Decline EditKoodiyattam traditionally was an exclusive art form performed in special venues called koothambalams in Hindu temples and access to these performances was restricted to only caste Hindus Also performances can take up to forty days to complete The collapse of the feudal order in the nineteenth century in Kerala curtailed the patronage of koodiyattam artists and they faced serious financial difficulties Following a revival in the early twentieth century Koodiyattam is once again facing a lack of funding leading to a crisis in the profession 11 UNESCO has called for the creation of a network of koodiyattam institutions and gurukalams to promote the transmission of the art form to future generations and for the development of new audiences besides fostering greater academic research in it Natanakairali in Irinjalakuda is one of the most prominent institutions in the field of koodiyattam revival The Margi Theatre Group in Thiruvananthapuram is another organisation dedicated to the revival of kathakali and koodiyattom in Kerala 12 Also Nepathya is an institution promoting koodiyattam and related art forms at Moozhikkulam 13 The Sangeet Natak Akademi India s National Academy for Music Dance and Drama has awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award the highest award for performing artists to kutiyattam artists like Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri 2007 Painkulam Raman Chakyar 2010 and Painkulam Damodara Chakyar 2012 14 See also Edit Mattavilasam the devotional ritualistic koodiyattam performed at temples in northern Kerala like Kottiyoor The artist is Mani Damodara Chakyar Margi Sathi Arts of Kerala Mohiniyattam Thulall Parayan Thullal Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan ChakyarReferences Edit UNESCO Kutiyattam Sanskrit theatre ich unesco org Retrieved 21 February 2022 https ich unesco org doc src 00264 EN pdf bare URL PDF Shulman David Creating and Destroying the Universe in Twenty Nine Nights The New York Review of Books Retrieved 9 December 2012 All at home The Hindu 13 July 2012 Bhargavinilayam Das 1999 Mani Madhaveeyam Department of Cultural Affairs Government of Kerala ISBN 81 86365 78 8 archived from the original on 15 February 2008 Mani Madhava Chakkyar The Master at Work K N Panikar Sangeet Natak Akademi New Delhi 1994 The Samskrita Ranga Annual Samskrita Ranga Madras 1963 p 89 Venkatarama Raghavan A L Mudaliar 1968 Bibliography of the Books Papers amp Other Contributions of Dr V Raghavan New Order Book Co India p 370 The Samskrita Ranga Annual Samskrita Ranga Madras 1967 p 77 Mani Madhava Chakkyar The Master at Work English film Kavalam N Panikar Sangeet Natak Akademi New Delhi 1994 Kutiyattam Sanskrit theatre Welcome to margitheatre Koodiyattom festival begins at Moozhikulam The Hindu The Hindu 30 July 2012 SNA List of Akademi Awardees Sangeet Natak Akademi Official website Archived from the original on 31 March 2016 Chakiar Mani Madhava 1975 Natyakalpadrumam Sangeet Natak Akademi New Delhi Raja Kunjunni 1964 An Introduction to Kutiyattam Sangeet Natak Akademi New Delhi Kavalam N Panikar 1994 Mani Madhava Chakyar The Master at Work Sangeet Natak Akademi New DelhiFurther reading Edit Natyakalpadrumam the master treatise on all aspects of koodiyattam by Guru Mani Madhva Chakyar Natyakalpadruma 1975 a Kerala Sahitya Academy Award winning book on Koodiyattam written by Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar considered authoritative by scholars 1 The Natya Shastra an ancient work of dramatic theory where Bharata Muni describes the Sanskrit theatre of the Gupta Empire Koodiyattam is believed to preserve some aspects of the performance style of that period Abhinaya Darpana by Nandikeshvara another work of dramatic theory comparable to the Natya Shastra Farley Richmond Kutiyattam Sanskrit Theater of India University of Michigan Press 2002 CD ROM featuring videos and text Rajendran C The Traditional Sanskrit Theatre of Kerala University of Calicut 1989 Virginie Johan Kuttu Kutiyattam theatres classiques du Kerala Revue d histoire du theatre 216 2002 4 365 382 Virginie Johan Pour un theatre des yeux l exemple indien Coulisses 33 2006 259 274 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Koodiyattam Wikiquote Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar Kutiyattam Kudiyattam A Multi Disciplinary Approach to the Living Sanskrit Theater of Kerala Shulman David 24 November 2012 Creating and Destroying the Universe in Twenty Nine Nights The New York Review of Books Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy and Venkateswarier Subramaniam The Sacred and the Secular in India s Performing Arts Ananda K Coomaraswamy Centenary Essays 1980 Ashish Publishers p 150 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Koodiyattam amp oldid 1146138202, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
