October to April is Theyyam season in North Malabar and Pottan Theyyam is one of the prominent performances. In fact, Pottan enjoys a significant presence among those Theyyams that are not related to the concept of mother goddess.
The origin of the Pottan Theyyam is linked to the story of Lord Shiva disguising as a Chandala to teach Adi Shankara a lesson during his journey to conquer the Sarvatjnapeetom , considered the acme of erudition and learning. Chandalas were considered as members of a less privileged caste. Pottan questions untouchability and discrimination based on caste, taking on Brahminical theories of ‘chaturvarnyam’.
Written by Janardhanan Potti, who adapted lines from the thottam pattu too, the play, Sarvatjnapeetom , was presented at Paravanadukkam in Kasaragod district.
The three-hour play, divided into four scenes, begins with the entry of Shankaracharya (Kottakkal Unnikrishnan) making his way to the Sarvatjnapeetom. Lord Siva, essayed by Kalamandalam Kuttikrishnan, is happy about Shankaracharya’s endeavour.
Nevertheless, Lord Siva wants to put an end to the saint’s ego and teach him a lesson by enlightening him about the futility of casteism. Thus, along with Parvathi, portrayed by Cheliya Jagadeep, and his entourage such as Nandikeswara, played by Kalamandalam Manoj, and others he decides to encounter him in the attire of a Chandala.
In between interesting ‘ilakiyattams’ were woven in. Kalanilayam Vasudevan and Sadanam Vijayan did well while enacting Siva and Parvathy as Chandala and Chandalathi.
Core of the play
The arguments between the Chandala and Shankaracharya, the core of the play, developed with the beginning of their encounter framed in the middle of the audience.
The dramatic elements of Kathakali were well utilised in the scene. The holy man disapproves the presence of the Chandalas and orders them to move out of his way. But Chandala counters him with effective arguments that remind Shankaracharya that all are the creations of god and finally it opens the eyes of the saint.
Declaring that the Chandala is an epitome of scholarship, he prostrates before him. When Shankaracharya looks up he sees his favourite Lord and his consort.
Siva advises him to make efforts to remove all dogmatic customs and to propagate Advaita philosophy and blesses him.
The lines in chaste Malayalam were composed in ragas such as Punnagavarali, Kalyani, Shyama and Hindolam by Kalamandalam Mohanakrishnan, who assisted by Kottakkal Santhosh, provided the vocal support. Kalanilayam Vasudevan choreographed the play.
In the post 20th century history of Kathakali, only Nizhalkoothu , authored by Pannisseri Nanu Pillai in 1925, and Karnasapatham , written by Mali Madhavan Nair in 1965, are performed by all schools of the art. There is scope for Sarvatjnapeetom to be staged all across Kerala, once it is fine tuned.
The programme was under the aegis of Natyaratnam Kannan Pattali Smaraka Kathakali Trust, both a Kathakali school and a cultural organisation founded in memory of the late Kathakali thespian Kannan Pattali.
