Kerala Kalamandalam

Reason for Setting up of the Kerala Kalamandalam

The Mahakavi Vallathol went to a friend's house in Kunnamkulam to witness a performance of Kathakali. The performance of that show was very poor and dismal. The Mahakavi and all those who saw the performance felt very bad that this unique art should have fallen to such disrepute. Then and there he decided to work for the resurrection of Kathakali. The setting up of the institution, the Kerala Kalamandalam, is the realisation of Padmabhooshan Mahakavi Vallathol Narayana Menon's vision.

Means to Raise Funds

Mahakavi Vallathol Narayana Menon discussed with his friends about his idea of resurrecting Kathakali and other classical and registered a new society at Calicut (Kozhikode) in 1927. The name of the Society was registered as the Kerala Kalamandalam. Since this was a new and unique venture and there was no guarantee of any monetary return, it was not easy to raise funds for the institution. He persuaded the government to approve a raffle scheme by the Kalamandalam. After working hard for about 3 years he and his friends could raise a reasonable sum. They held the draw at the Guruvayur Temple in 1930. The net proceeds of the raffle was Rs. 75,000/. This became the working capital of the Kerala Kalamandalam.

The Start

The Kalamandalam started functioning in 1930 from a friend's premises at Kunnamkulam. The premise was very small and inconvenient. One of Vallathol's friends, Manakkulam Mukunda Raja offered his premises at Ambalapuram, near Trichur to be used for Kalamandalam. Along with the shifting, the Mahakavi also came to stay at Ambalapuram so that he can give personal attention to the training programs, students and teachers. He believed that artists should have a reasonable education and awareness of our classical literature and epics. For this purpose he persuaded Kuttikrishna Marar, a legendary scholar of that time to join the institution and teach the students.

Final place for the Kerala Kalamandalam

During 1936 he could get land on the banks of the Bharathapuzha at Cheruthuruthy. He put up a compound and buildings in this place. The institution started functioning from the new premises from 1937. Kalamandalam had established a name for itself by then. In recognition of the founder of the Institution, Indian Railways built a station outside the compound on the Shornur – Ottapalam to Trichur route and named the same as Vallathol Nagar.

Subjects

The subjects taught are the classical arts like Kathakali, Mohiniyatam, Chakyarkuthu, Kudiyattam, Thullal, Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, and Nangiar Koothu etc.Training is also given in various percussion instruments like chenda, maddalam, mizhavu and the traditional orchestra called Panchavadyam . Kalamandalam follows the gurukula sampradayam, the ancient Indian education system based on residential tutelage.

Popularity

Students from all over the world came here to take advantage of the training available under the guidance of Vallathol. Some of the noted persons, who came to learn, included famous danseuse Ragini Devi and the great choreographer and dancer of international repute, Guru Gopinath. The Mahakavi secured the services of great masters like Guru Kunju Kurup, Pattikkanthodi Ravunni Menon and Kavalappara Narayan Nayar to teach the actor students. He persuaded Venkatakrishna Bhagavathar to teach music. To teach Chenda and Maddalam he made available the services of Moothamana Namboothiripad and Venkachan Iyer respectively.

Padmabhooshan Vallathol had travelled with the troupes in European countries and Russian States to popularise the arts in the world. He had greatly succeeded in this.

Kerala Kalamandalam - The temple of classical arts of Kerala