''Nangiar koothu'' or ''Nangyar Koothu'' is an allied traditional art of
Kutiyattam, an age-old
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
drama tradition of
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 is performed traditionally by the women of the
Ambalavasi Nambiar community of
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 ...
, known as ''Nangyaramma'', but since the second half of the 20th century it's no longer the case.
Nangiarkoothu, an offshoot of
Kutiyattam, is a solo performance with an antiquity of 1500 years. It is the sole domain of female artistes. The stories for the performance are taken from the text ''Sree Krishna Charitam'', depicting the life of
Lord Krishna. During the performance the actress presents the long-winded stories of Lord Krishna through hand gestures, facial expressions, and body movements to the accompaniment of the resonant pot drum
mizhavu.
Gallery
File:Nangyar kooth of Kerala .jpg, Nangyar kooth of Kerala
File:Kootiyaattam 4.jpg, At Kerala school Kalolsavam
File:Nangyar Koothu - Koodiyattam By Dr Indu G 1.JPG
File:Nangyaar kooth 7.jpg, Poothanaamoksham
References
*
Chākyār, Māni Mādhava. ''
Nātyakalpadrumam'',
Sangeet Natak Academi
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 ...
, New Delhi, 1975
*
Margi Sathi,."Sree Rama Charitham Nangiarammakuthu", D.C.Books, Kottayam,1999
See also
*
Chakyar Koothu
*
Koodiyattam
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 perfor ...
*
Mani Madhava Chakyar
*
Margi Sathi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nangiar Kuthu
Hindu dance traditions
Dances of Kerala
Theatre in India