The Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University has been making efforts to popularise the traditional art forms of Kerala, K.K. Sundaresan, Kalamandalam Registrar, has said.
Dr. Sundaresan was inaugurating the Kathakali and Mohiniyattom workshop held as part of the Kathakali Mela organised by the District Kathakali Club on the sand bed of the Pampa river at Cherukolpuzha near Kozhencherry on Wednesday.
Artistes must learn the technical details of Kerala’s own traditional art form. The Ayroor sub-centre of the Kerala Kalamandalam was the first among the five extension centres in terms of the number of students, people’s participation, and functioning, Dr. Sundaresan said.
P.P. Ramachandran Pillai, Natyabharati Granthasala president, presided. The workshop began with the Kathakali Purappad staged by Natyabharati Prem Sundar, Natyabharati Prem Prasad, Natyabharati Adityan, Natyabharati Abhishek, Natyabharati Rahul, and Kalanilayam Omanakkuttan. A Mohiniyattom demonstration was held on the sandbed as part of the workshop. Kalamandalam Lonisha Ullas, Mohiniyattom lecturer at the Kalady Sanskrit University, and Neethu Krishnan Aranmula, led the demonstration. Nearly 400 schoolchildren attended the workshop on Wednesday.
‘Ambareeshacharithom’ Kathakali was staged in the evening. KPCC general secretary Pandalam Sudhakaran will inaugurate a Kathakali Kalari on Thursday. Dileepkumar, club secretary, will preside over the meeting. Kathakali percussion exponent Mankulam Krishnan Namboodiri will lead the workshop and a Kathakali on ‘Karna shapadhom’ will be staged in the evening.
Kalamandalam Hyder Ali memorial Kathakali quiz contest will be held on January 11. Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien will inaugurate the valedictory meet at 3 p.m. The Ayroor Raman Pillai Award instituted by the club will be presented to veteran Kathakali scholar Vellinezhy Achuthankutty on the occasion. The week-long Kathakali fest will come to a close with the staging of the Kathakali ‘Nizhalkuthu.’
