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Koodiyattam ( ml, കൂടിയാട്ടം;
IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...
: kūṭiyāṭṭaṁ; ) is a traditional performing art form in the state of
Kerala, India Kerala ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, 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 ...
. It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre with elements of ''
Koothu Koothu or Therukoothu (jwalith) ( ta, கூத்து), is an ancient art, where artists play songs with dance and music in storytelling the epics, performed in Tamil; it is a folk art originated from the early Tamil country. More precisel ...
'', an ancient performing art from the
Sangam era The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. ...
. It is officially recognised by
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 ...
as a
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness of intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and th ...
.


Origin

Koodiyattam, meaning "combined acting" in
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
, 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 Chakyar Koothu (pronounced ) is a performance art from Kerala, India. It is primarily a type of highly refined monologue where the performer narrates episodes from Hindu epics (such as the ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata'') and stories from ...
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 Koothu or Therukoothu (jwalith) ( ta, கூத்து), is an ancient art, where artists play songs with dance and music in storytelling the epics, performed in Tamil; it is a folk art originated from the early Tamil country. More precisel ...
, which is mentioned several times in Sangam literature, and the epigraphs of the subsequent Pallava, Pandiyan, Chera, and
Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...
periods. Inscriptions related to koothu can be seen in temples at
Tanjore Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
, Tiruvidaimaruthur, Vedaranyam,
Tiruvarur Thiruvarur () also spelt as Tiruvarur is a town and municipality in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Thiruvarur district and Thiruvarur taluk. The temple chariot of the Thyagaraja temple, weighing and mea ...
, and Omampuliyur. They were treated as an integral part of worship services, alongside the singing of Tevaram and Prabandam hymns. 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 Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
friend called Tolan. These plays are still performed. Apart from these, the plays traditionally presented include ''Ascaryacudamani'' of Saktibhadra, ''Kalyanasaugandhika'' of Nilakantha, ''Bhagavadajjuka'' of
Bodhayana The (Sanskrit: बौधायन) are a group of Vedic Sanskrit texts which cover dharma, daily ritual, mathematics and is one of the oldest Dharma-related texts of Hinduism that have survived into the modern age from the 1st-millennium BCE. Th ...
, ''Nagananda'' of Harsa, and many plays ascribed to Bhasa, including ''Abhiseka'' and ''Pratima''.


Instruments

Traditionally, the main musical instruments used in koodiyattam are the
mizhavu A mizhav or mizhavu (Malayalam: മിഴാവ്) is a big copper drum played as an accompanying percussion instrument in the Koodiyattam and Koothu, performing arts of Kerala. It is played by the Ambalavasi Nambiar community. After 1965, wh ...
, kuzhitalam,
edakka The ''idakka'' (), also spelt edaykka/edakka, is an hourglass-shaped drum from Kerala in south India. This handy percussion instrument is very similar to the pan-Indian damaru. While the damaru is played by rattling knotted cords against the res ...
, kurumkuzhal, and
sankhu Sankhu (साखु) (alternative name: Sakwa (Nepal Bhasa: सक्व)) is the ancient Newar town located in the north-eastern corner of Kathmandu Valley which is about 17 km from the city center of Kathmandu. Sankhu was formerly divi ...
. 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

Traditionally, koodiyattam has been performed by
Chakyar Chakyar ( ml, ചാക്യാർ; ; ; also spelled Cakyar, Chakkiar, Chakiar, etc.) is an intermediate priestly caste coming under the Ambalavasi community of Hindus in the Kerala state of India. The women in this caste are called ''Illotam ...
s (a
subcaste Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultural ...
of Kerala
Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
) and by Nangyaramma (women of the
Ambalavasi Ambalavasi, more properly Ampalavasi, ( ml, അമ്പലവാസി; IAST: Ampalavāsi; ) is the generic name for a group of castes among Hindus in Kerala, India, who have traditionally rendered temple services. Castes The Ambalavasis are b ...
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. 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 Abhinaya (Sanskrit ''abhi-'' 'towards' + ''nii-'' 'leading/guide') is the art of expression in Indian aesthetics. More accurately it means "leading an audience towards" the experience (') of a sentiment ('). The concept, derived from Bharata Mun ...
, 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. 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 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 ...
performed Kutiyattam outside the temple for the first time, for which he faced many problems from the hardline Chakyar community. In his own words: 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. They presented over three nights koodiyattam scenes from the plays ''Abhiṣeka'', ''Subhadrādhanañjaya'' and ''Nāgānda''. In early 1960s Maria Christoffer Byrski, a Polish student doing research in Indian theatres at
Banaras Hindu University Banaras Hindu University (BHU) IAST: kāśī hindū viśvavidyālaya IPA: /kaːʃiː hɪnd̪uː ʋɪʃwəʋid̪jaːləj/), is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916 ...
, 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 Killikkurussimangalam (also known as Lakkidi) is a village around 8 km from nearby town Ottappalam in Palakkad district of Kerala, south India. The river Nila (Bharatapuzha) flows through the southern border of Lakkidi. Etymology The village go ...
and studied in the traditional
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 ...
way.


Noted artists

*
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 ...
*
Ammannur Madhava Chakyar Ammannur Madhava Chakyar (13 May 1917 – 1 July 2008) was a master of Kutiyattam, the classical Sanskrit theatrical form indigenous to Kerala. He is best known for taking the performances from the temple sanctuaries where they were former ...
, who in the 1980s became one of the first koodiyattam performers to present this art to an international audience. *
Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakyar Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakyar (1928–2009) was an exponent of Koodiyattam, a traditional form of Sanskrit theatre from Kerala, which has been recognised by UNESCO as an ''Oral and Intangible Heritage of Mankind''. Born in a family of Koodiya ...
, 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 Mani Damodara Chakyar (Māni Dāmodara Chākyār; born 1946) is a Kutiyattam and Chakyar Koothu artist in Kerala state of south India. He is a nephew and disciple of legendary guru ''Nātyāchārya Vidūshakaratnam Padma Shri'' Māni Mādhava ...
, 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.
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 ...
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 Irinjalakuda is a municipal town in Thrissur district, Kerala, India. It is the headquarters of Irinjalakuda Revenue Division and Mukundapuram Taluk. After Thrissur, this town has most number of administrative, law-enforcement and judicial of ...
is one of the most prominent institutions in the field of koodiyattam revival. The Margi Theatre Group in
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
is another organisation dedicated to the revival of
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 ...
and koodiyattom in
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 ...
. Also,
Nepathya Nepathya ( ne, नेपथ्य, also spelled as Nepathaya) is a Nepalese folk rock band that was formed in the early 1990s by three students from Pokhara while studying in Kathmandu, Nepal. Nepathya was formed by Deepak Rana, Bhim Poon and A ...
is an institution promoting koodiyattam and related art forms at Moozhikkulam. The
Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. History It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...
, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, has awarded the
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IPA: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in Englis ...
, the highest award for performing artists, to kutiyattam artists like Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri (2007),
Painkulam Raman Chakyar Late Shri Guru Painkulam Raman Chakyar was a Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam performer. He won the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award in 1980. He was also a teacher of Vachika Abhinaya in both Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam. Life Starting in 1925 ...
(2010) and Painkulam Damodara Chakyar (2012).


See also

*
Margi Sathi Margi Sathi (official name P. S. Sathi Devi) (1965 - 2015) was an exponent of Nangiǎr Kūthu which is a form of performing art derived from Koodiyattam and which is traditionally performed by the female members of the Chakkyar community of Kera ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
Parayan Thullal Parayan Thullal is a dance and poetic performance form prevailed in the state of Kerala, India. This one of the three major thullal forms prevailing in Kerala. Others are Ottan Thullal and Sheethankan Thullal. Usually, it is conducted in the m ...
*
Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakyar Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakyar (1928–2009) was an exponent of Koodiyattam, a traditional form of Sanskrit theatre from Kerala, which has been recognised by UNESCO as an ''Oral and Intangible Heritage of Mankind''. Born in a family of Koodiya ...


References

* * *


Further reading

*'' Natyakalpadruma'' (1975), a
Kerala Sahitya Academy Award Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award is given each year, since 1958, by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi (Kerala Literary Academy), to Malayalam writers for their outstanding books of literary merit. The awards are given in various categories.
-winning book on Koodiyattam written by Guru
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 ...
, considered authoritative by scholars.
Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Ananda Kentish Muthu Coomaraswamy ( ta, ஆனந்த குமாரசுவாமி, ''Ānanda Kentiś Muthū Kumāraswāmī''; si, ආනන්ද කුමාරස්වාමි ''Ānanda Kumārasvāmī''; 22 August 1877 − 9 Septem ...
and Venkateswarier Subramaniam, "The Sacred and the Secular in India's Performing Arts:
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy Ananda Kentish Muthu Coomaraswamy ( ta, ஆனந்த குமாரசுவாமி, ''Ānanda Kentiś Muthū Kumāraswāmī''; si, ආනන්ද කුමාරස්වාමි ''Ānanda Kumārasvāmī''; 22 August 1877 − 9 Septem ...
Centenary Essays"(1980), Ashish Publishers, p. 150.
*The '' Nātya Shāstra'', an ancient work of dramatic theory where Bharata Muni describes the Sanskrit theatre of the
Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gol ...
; Koodiyattam is believed to preserve some aspects of the performance style of that period. *''
Abhinaya Darpana Nandikeshvara ( sa, नन्दिकेश्वर​) (5th century-4th century BC) was a major theatrologist of ancient India. He was the author of the . Influence on Bharata Nandikeshvara seems to have preceded Bharata, according to Rama ...
'' by
Nandikeshvara Nandikeshvara ( sa, नन्दिकेश्वर​) (5th century-4th century BC) was a major theatrologist of ancient India. He was the author of the . Influence on Bharata Nandikeshvara seems to have preceded Bharata, according to Rama ...
, another work of dramatic theory comparable to the ''Nātya Shāstra''. *
Farley Richmond Farley may refer to: People * Farley (name), a list of people with the given name or surname Places Antarctica * Mount Farley * Farley Massif Australia * Farley, New South Wales * Farley railway station England * Farley, Derbyshire * Farl ...
, ''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 : théâtres classiques du Kerala". ''Revue d’histoire du théâtre'' 216, 2002-4: 365–382. *Virginie Johan, "Pour un théâtre des yeux : l’exemple indien". ''Coulisses 33'', 2006 : 259–274.


External links

* Wikiquote:Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar/Kutiyattam
Kudiyattam: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to the Living Sanskrit Theater of Kerala
* {{UNESCO Oral and Intangible music Performing arts in India Dances of Kerala Theatre in India Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity Arts of Kerala Religious vernacular drama Cultural heritage of India