Gandhi Seva Sadan is a
Kathakali
Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...
institution located in Perur village, some 12 kilometres east of
Ottapalam
Ottapalam, (also spelled Ottappalam) is a town, taluk and municipality in the Palakkad district, Palakkad District, Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ottapalam taluk. Ottapalam is located about 36 km from district head ...
in
Palakkad
Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
district of north-central
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
in southern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It was founded in 1953 by the (late) Gandhian and freedom fighter
K. Kumaran, equally known for his unflagging devotion to the promotion of the arts.
Having celebrated its golden jubilee, Sadanam Kathakali and Classic Arts Academy is one of the four oldest schools providing training in the classical dance-drama of Kathakali in the traditional residential (
gurukula
A or ( sa, गुरुकुल, gurukul) is a type of education system in ancient India with ('students' or 'disciples') living near or with the guru, in the same house. The guru-shishya tradition is a sacred one in Hinduism and possibly ap ...
) style. The most prominent among today's Kathakali exponents from Sadanam have all had tutelage under
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair.
Located in a green, silent locality on the banks of the river
Bharatapuzha, Sadanam has groomed several artistes who have gained acclaim in the field as actor-dancers, musicians, percussionists, make-up men and greenroom assistants. Among them are
Sadanam Krishnankutty,
Sadanam P. V. Balakrishnan, Ramankutty, Narippatta Narayanan Namboodiri, Pariyanampatta Divakaran,
Sadanam K. Harikumaran, Bhasi, Manikantan, Sreenathan, Rahul and Kiran (all actor-dancers), besides musicians like
Sadanam Jyothi Radhakrishnan, Rajagopalan, Shyamalan and Sivadas;
chenda
The Chenda ( ml, ചെണ്ട, ) is a cylindrical percussion instrument originating in the state of Kerala and widely used in Tulu Nadu of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in India. In Tulu Nadu (Coastal Karnataka), it is known as ''chende''. ...
artistes like Sadanam Vasu,
Mattannur Sankarankutty Marar
Mattanur Sankarankutty (M. P. Sankara Marar) is an Indian percussionist who plays the chenda (a traditional Kerala drum), Thayambaka, Panchari melam, and Panchavadyam. He was born in Mattanur in Kannur district of Kerala. He was awarded the P ...
, Sadanam Divakaran, Gopalakrishnan, Ramakrishnan, Sivakumar and Sreekumar;
maddalam
The maddalam or madhalam (Malayalam: മദ്ദളം) मद्दलम , ମଦ୍ଦଳମ , మద్దళమ్ , ಮದ್ದಳಂ is a drum made out of the wood of the jackfruit tree. It has two sides for playing, made out of leather ...
artistes like Cherpulasseri Sivan, Sadanam Sreedharan, Ramachandran, Murukajyothi, Rajan, Devadas and Bharatharajan; make-up (''chutti'') artistes Sadanam Sreenivasan and Saju; and greenroom artistes Kunjan and Govindan.
Not far away from its main campus, the academy has an impressive indoor-cum-outdoor auditorium that plays the venue for Sadanam's functions during special occasions like anniversary celebrations and the Pattikkamthodi Jayanti (28 September).
Sadanam has been listed in the official tourism sites of the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, India. Details of the courses offered by the traditional Kathakali training centre can be accessed at http://trainingcentres.keralatourism.org/centre_details.php?id=19. Its contributions to the culture of Kerala and its history figure in performance videos that have been documented as a heritage in association with
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. These videos can be accessed at http://www.indiavideo.org/kerala/heritage/performing-arts/kathakali/gandhi-seva-sadan-503.php. Its long-standing reputation and contributions to the traditional art form has also earned it recognition as an institution of higher learning by the Government of India.
[http://www.indiaeducation.ernet.in/insitutions/profile.asp?no=U01634)]
Gandhi Seva Sadan also runs a teachers training institute, a senior secondary school (affiliated to the
CBSE) and a computer training center under its management.
Life profile of founder K. Kumaran
Gandhi Seva Sadan was founded by Kollaikal Kumaran, son of Madathil Narayanan Nair and Kollaikal Devakiamma. He finished his schooling from the government high school in his native
Thiruvilwamala
Thiruvilwamala is a hilly village in the northern terrain of Thrissur district of Kerala state in southern India. It is located 47 kilometres northeast of district headquarters Thrissur.
Location
The village, which is more of a temple town, ...
and joined Government Victoria college, Palakkad, in the year 1941 for his intermediate.
While in college, Kumaran followed
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
's call for fight against the British for India's independence and took part in Quit India Movement. Quite expectedly, he was expelled from the college for this action. He then joined the freedom struggle and was jailed in Alippuram,
Bellary
Bellary, officially Ballari, in the eponymous Bellary district, is a city in the state of Karnataka, India.
History
Bellary was a part of Rayalaseema (Ceded Districts) which was part of Madras Presidency till 1 November 1956.
The Ball ...
, for his activities against the "British Raj". Inspired by the Mahatma's call to "Do or Die", Kumaran managed to escape from Allipuram Jail in 1943. He was arrested in
Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
, but he managed to escape again from police custody. His uncle Madathil Vasudevan Nair whom he lovingly called "Vasuetta" supported him.
During a second conviction in Bellary jail, Kumaran was subjected to torture and put in iron fetters under the order of Col. Howe. He was released in 1944. Soon after this, he went to
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
(now Mumbai) as a full-time congress worker and captained the volunteer team for the 1945
AICC session. During this session, he came into contact with Gandhiji and several senior Congress leaders. Heeding to Mahatma Gandhi's call to youngsters to live and die in the villages of India, Kumaran set forth and put in the place the first modest steps for what was to become a big institution in his Perur. With the help of a small sum donated by few village elders he bought 12 charkhas (cotton-spinning machines which were at that time the symbol of the aspirations of an independent India). He established a school, a teacher training Institution,a Vocational centre, and a Kathakali Centre and Bharatanatyam Institute. Throughout his lifetime he wore Khadhi cloth and followed Gandhiji. He weathered difficult times, but eventually built Sadanam as a renowned institution. Kumaran died in 2005.
Gurus at Sadanam
Sadanam has a tradition of inviting the greatest of gurus of Kathakali and
Rasa Abhinaya
Indian art evolved with an emphasis on inducing special spiritual or philosophical states in the audience, or with representing them symbolically.
Rasas in the performing arts
The theory of rasas still forms the aesthetic underpinning of ...
as its trainers. The stalwarts of yesteryear include Guru
Kunchu Kurup
Guru Kunju Kurup (1881–1970) was a Kathakali dancer from south Kerala, India.
Life
Born in a Poypallilkulam family of Thakazhi village of Kuttanad in present-day Alappuzha district, Kurup was initiated into Kathakali at the age of 13 by his ...
for Kathakali and
Kutiyattam
Koodiyattam ( ml, കൂടിയാട്ടം; IAST: kūṭiyāṭṭaṁ; ) 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 perfo ...
maestro Natyacharya
Mani Madhava Chakyar
Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar (IAST: ''Māṇi Mādhava Cākyār'')
(15 February 1899 – 14 January 1990) was a celebrated master performance artist and Sanskrit scholar
from Kerala, India, considered to be the greatest Chakyar Koothu and Koodiy ...
for Rasaabhinaya and Netraabhinaya (both
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
awardees).
Sadanam has had several prominent exponents in its faculty, the longest-serving among them includes the late Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair. The students have earlier also had training under veteran gurus like the late Thekkinkattil Ramunni Nair,
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair
Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair (25 May 1925 – 11 March 2013) was a performer of Kathakali, who practiced the Kerala art form for more than seven decades.
Biography
His guru was Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, his only teacher in his entir ...
, the late
Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair
Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair (1928–2007) was an eminent Kathakali exponent, equally known for his capacities as a tutor, theoretician and author of a few authentic texts on the classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India. A son of the ...
and Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair, besides late masters like Kadathanattu Govindan Nambisan,
Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan
Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan (1920–1985) was a trend-setter Kathakali musician who played a crucial role in remoulding the aesthetics of singing for the classical dance-drama of Kerala, south India. Nambisan imbibed a set of fresh musical i ...
,
Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup,
Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval, Kalamandalam Chandra Mannadiyar,
Tirur Nambissan
Tirur Nambissan (1942-1994) was a Kathakali singer. He was born as Narayanan Nambissan at Tirur in the Malappuram district of Kerala in southern India. He started learning music at the age of seven, while attending the local boys' high school. ...
and
Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval.
Currently, Kumaran's son and versatile artiste Sadanam K. Harikumaran is the principal of Sadanam. Kathakali master Narippatta Narayanan Namboodiri is its director. Kalanilayam Balakrishnan, Paara Narayanan Namboodiri and Kalamandalam Satheesan are among the senior instructors.
See also
*
Kathakali
Kathakali ( ml, കഥകളി) is a major form of classical Indian dance. It is a "story play" genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes of the traditional male actor-dancers. It is native to the M ...
*
Classical Indian dance
*
Arts of Kerala
The Indian state Kerala is well known for its diverse forms of performing arts. The various communities in Kerala contribute to its rich and colourful culture.The most important traditional art forms of Kerala are Kathakali, Kalaripayattu, Kood ...
*
Mohiniyattam
Mohiniyattam, ( ml, മോഹിനിയാട്ടം), is an Indian classical dance form that developed and remained popular in the state of Kerala. Kathakali is another classical dance form of Kerala. Mohiniyattam dance gets its name fr ...
*
Kutiyattam
Koodiyattam ( ml, കൂടിയാട്ടം; IAST: kūṭiyāṭṭaṁ; ) 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 perfo ...
*
Māni Mādhava Chākyār
Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar (IAST: ''Māṇi Mādhava Cākyār'')
(15 February 1899 – 14 January 1990) was a celebrated master performance artist and Sanskrit scholar
from Kerala, India, considered to be the greatest Chakyar Koothu and Koodi ...
*
Nātyakalpadrumam
''Nātyakalpadrumam'' (നാട്യകല്പദ്രുമം in Malayalam, नाट्यकल्पद्रुमम् in Devanagari) is a book written by Guru Māni Mādhava Chākyār, considered the greatest exponent of Koo ...
*
Thulall
Ottan Thullal (or ''Ottamthullal'', Malayalam: ഓട്ടൻ തുള്ളൽ) is a recite-and-dance art-form of Kerala, India. It was introduced in the eighteenth century by Kunchan Nambiar, one of the Prachina Kavithrayam (three famous Mal ...
*
Panchavadyam
Panchavadyam (Malayalam: പഞ്ചവാദ്യം), literally meaning an orchestra of five instruments, is basically a temple art form that has evolved in Kerala. Of the five instruments, four — timila, maddalam, ilathalam and idakka ...
*
Kerala Kalamandalam
Kerala Kalamandalam, deemed to be University of Art and Culture by the Government of India, is a major center for learning Indian performing arts, especially those that developed in the Southern states of India, with the special emphasis on K ...
References
External links
Kathakali eventsat kathakali news.
{{authority control
Kathakali
Schools in Palakkad district
Dance schools in India