Kalamandalam: Guardian of Kerala Artforms

 

History is always about preserving the heritage & it does not stop at monuments, events or people but also art forms which play an important role in the development of people & the nation. In Kerala one such place is the Kalamandalam to which people today must be thankful for keeping the heritage of the most beautiful artform alive, the Kathakali. Imagine a time in Kerala devoid of any Kathakali performance, but such a day was foreseen by the most revered poet of the 20th century, Mahakavi Vallathol Narayana Menon. The story of how Kalamandalam became the venue for giving the world some of the best exponents of Kerala artform is one for all to know.

The artform of Kathakali was part of the social fabric for many centuries with performances in temples during festivals & special occasions in houses of wealthy noblemen. When the colonial powers took the reign of the rule from the local rulers, these performances were limited to temples but by the time Britishers came to power, the performances became difficult to conduct. By the start of the 20th century, the independence movement was taking shape & these events started to be venues for the freedom fighters to plan the resistance. To stop such meetings & to facilitate interference in the daily affairs of the temple, the British denied permission for Kathakali performances & slowly the art lost its importance in Kerala. With not many people available to perform, Kathakali began to fade away from the society & there was a need of cultural renaissance to bring the dance form back to its old glory. The only way to create such a change was to take Kathakali out of temples & make it accessible to all. To achieve this, Vallathol needed the assistance of the King who was a great admirer of the artform & so vehemently approved. The need to start a society which nurtured talents gave rise to the idea of Kalamandalam. The idea was put to practice by Vallathol in the company of his trusted aide Manakullam Mukundaraja, the nephew of the Raja. In order to build a center like Kalamandalam, it was necessary to raise funds to buy land & the only way forward was to ask for donations. So for over 2 years Vallathol & his aides met many patrons of art asking for donations & in November of 1930 the dream became a reality when Kalamandalam began functioning at Kakkad Karanavars Mappad House in Kunnamkulam. The initial years were only focussed on finding the best tutors to teach Kathakali. The functioning of Kalamandalam had to be briefly shifted to Sreenivasam Bungalow near MulankunnathuKavu in Thrissur. The Maharaja of Cochin was happy with the functioning of the Kalamandalam & as a connoisseur of art wanted more from the Kalamandalam. He met Vallathol & said to widen the field of training to other art forms like Ottam Thullal, Chakiarkoothu etc which also were in a state of decline. The Maharaja earmarked the beautiful banks of the Bharathapuzha river, commonly known as Nila as the place where a bigger & more appropriate Kalamandalam would be built. So in 1936 the Kalamandalam was shifted to its current location of Cheruthuruthy where a beautiful structure based on traditional temple architecture invites students, tutors & visitors alike. One important sight at the Kalamandalam is the presence of a Koothambalam which is first outside the walls of a temple & this Koothambalam is adorned with 108 karanas (dance pose sculptures) on the granite pillars. 

The Kalamandalam follows Gurukul way of teaching wherein students have to stay with the tutors & practice in whichever art selected is conducted in different areas of the Kalamandalam. Every student who joins the Kalamandalam is required to tend for himself during the whole duration of the course like doing his/her chores. The Kalamandalam also understands the importance of art to be democratic & every person irrespective of caste, strata, faith or nationality is free to join as the place does not discriminate. Kalamandalam apart from being the center for art forms also provides training in Dance forms like Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam. There is also a separate wing inside the Kalamandalam which trains students in percussion instruments like the Mizhavu, chenda Panchavadyam instruments etc. The most important event for a student at Kalamandalam is being recognised on the day of Arangettam where they exhibit their craft in front of a crowd of experts, tutors, family & public at large. It is a moment for every student at Kalamandalam to be recognised on the biggest stage in the world for performing arts.

Today the world recognises & knows about the art forms of Kerala through the efforts of Kalamandalam as it gave access to performers from all over the world to come & train under the guidance of some of the best tutors. The introduction of Koodiyattam created a buzz among many as for the first time in history this art form became accessible to non chakiyars & non nambiars bringing students from all walks of life to study this beautiful art form. Kalamandalam also became a place of secular tolerance where religion took a backseat & human endurance was given importance. It is only because of such thoughts that people could witness the performance of Kalamandalam Hyderali & Kalamandalam John. 

As a visitor at the Kalamandalam one has to remember that the place is a functioning school & so all disciplines have to be followed. The students here also follow rules to the dot as training sessions can extend from early morning till late evening & attendance for the practice sessions is a must for all. Today Kalamandalam offers over 12 courses in classical performing arts & is only one of its kind in the world. Kalamandalam today is declared as Deemed to be University of Arts & Culture by the HRD Ministry, Govt of India & so many from all around the world come for research to obtain their PhD. The importance of Kalamandalam is such that the prefix of Kalamandalam in one’s name is enough to give you a higher distinction among performers. 

The sounds one hears around the Kalamandalam classes reverberates even once you have left the premises. A walk around the campus makes you realise how one place changed the course of history & became responsible for keeping some of the most elegant art forms alive for all to see & learn.