Mankompu Sivasankara Pillai, 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 ...

in south

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 ...

, was a Kathakali artist of the classical dance-drama's southern style. Noted for his consummate depiction of pachcha, kathi and minukku roles, he is a disciple of Chenganoor Raman Pillai. Born in Mankompu of

Kuttanad Kuttanad ( ml, കുട്ടനാട്‌) is a region covering the Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta Districts, in the state of Kerala, India, well known for its vast paddy fields and geographical peculiarities. The region has the lo ...

belt in Alappuzha district, Pillai has also learnt Kathakali from Kalarkode Kuttappa Panikkar, Thakazhi Ayyappan Pillai and Thottam Sankaran Namboodiri. In 1966, he was inducted as a teacher in

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 ...

, where he served for long. In 1985, he was accorded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and was conferred

Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna and Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Puraskar were given at special events organised by Sangeet Natak Akademi in *Kolkata – Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Samman on 25 April 2012 *Chennai – Sangeet Natak Akademi ...

. In 2006, Mankompu, with his brother C.K. Sivarama Pillai, brought out a book, ''Kathakali Swaroopam'', that deals with the evolution, grammar and aesthetics of the art form in the

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

region. He died on 20 March 2014 due to a massive cerebral hemorrhage.

References

Dancers from Kerala 2014 deaths Kathakali exponents Malayali people People from Alappuzha district Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Year of birth missing Indian male dancers {{India-culture-stub