Lecture Demonstration
Gallary 1

Kathakali & Kathakali demonstrations held at Chennai organized by ‘Indiansarts.com’

Kathakali programmes were conducted on 28th and 29th January at two places in Chennai. Kathakali demonstration programme started at 10:00 hrs at Mahalingapuram Iyyappan temple hall on the 28th. Sri. Kalamandalam Vinod and Sri.Sudhish started the programe with the Vandana slokam, ‘Mathangananam abjavasana manim’ by Kottayathu Thampuran’. Sri.Ettumanur P. Kannan demonstrated ‘Ajagarakabalitham’, ‘Vazhiyil ninnu poka vanaradhama’ and ‘Daithe kel Kamaneeyakrithe’. The keen audience asked many questions regarding ashtakalasam, Ilakiyattam, manodharmam etc. Regarding ragam and thalam discussion prolonged for a long time. Sri. Kalamandalam Krishnadas and Sri.Margi Ratnakaran were on the Chenda and Madhalam respectively.

Kathakali (Ambareekshacharitham) started at 21:00 hrs. Even though ‘Ambareekshacharitham’ was new to most of the audience, the kali was very successful. All the artists, Sri. Ettumanur P.Kannan (Durvassa), Sri. Kalamandalam Prasanth (Ambareekshan), Sri.Anilkumar (Bramhin & Vishnu), Sri.Margi Ravindran Pillai(Krithya), Sri. Kalamandalam Ravikumar (Sudarsanam) played their part very nicely. Sri.Kalamandalam Vinod & Sudheesh (vocal), Sri.Kalamandalam Krishnadas (Chenda) and Sri. Margi Ratnakaran (Madhalam) also performed their roles very well.

Sri. Kannan’s super performance of the suffering of Durvassa at the hands of Sudarsanam and the wonderful background support of Chenda provided by Sri.Kalamandalam Krishnadas were really memorable. As a kathakali lover, I enquired about the play with many of the audience and I was very happy to hear their high opinion and super comments.

On the 29th, the kathakali demonstration started at 10:30 hrs at Malayalee club, Chetpet. Here too the demo started with Vandanaslokam. Sri. Ettumanoor P. Kannan demonstrated an attam (Ravippol kshanamangodungidum) as he is seeing a lake with plenty of lotus flowers. One bee is taking honey from a lotus. It drank too much honey and became drowsy and sleepy. While sleeping inside the flower, the sun set and the lotus closed with the bee trapped inside. The bee desperately tried to come out of the flower, but it couldn’t as the flower was closed. It remained inside the flower hoping to escape next morning when the sun rises again. At this time an elephant came to the lake and grabbed the lotus while trying to drink water. It thrashed the lotus on its body. The lotus flower opened and the bee escaped. Sri. Kannan demonstrated this very beautifully and all of the audience appreciated it. Thereafter ‘Kanninakkanandam’ from Dakshayagam and ‘Janakaa thava darshanaal’ from Kalakeyavadham were demonstrated. He also demonstrated a ‘padapurappad’ and its elaborate preparations. Many people asked questions regarding Kathakali. After the demonstration the audience clearly expressed the necessity of such demonstrations to make people understand and enjoy kathakali.

Kathakali (Nalacharitham - part 1) started at 19:00 hrs. Dr. K.S. Mohandas explained the story to the audience. The participants were: Sri.Ettumanur P.Kannan (Nalan), Sri.Margi Vijayakaumar (Damayanthi), Sri.Prasanth (Naradan), Sri.Ravikumar (Hamsam) and Sri. Anil kumar (Damayanthi’s Sakhi). Sri.Vinod &Sudheesh (vocal), Sri.Krishnadas (Chenda) & Margi Ratnakaran (Madhalam). All the artists, especially Sri.Kannan and Sri. Margi Vijayakumar, performed their roles very well. At the last scene an attam of Hamsam and Damayanthi, matched very well to the slokam ‘Sandippichen thava khulu manam bhaimithan manasothodindran thane varikililaka-ka-kathanweshurajan’. This attam brought back my memories of the old kathaklai performances with late Sri. Mankulam Vishnunampoothiri or Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair as Nalan , Sri. Oyoor Kochugovinda Pillai or Chennithala Chellappan Pillai as the hamsam and Sri.Kudamalur Karunakaran Nair or Chirakkara Madhavan Kutty or Kottakkal Sivaraman or Mathur Govindan kutty as Damayanthi.

I hope many of such Kathakali programmes will be held in Chennai in future and the kathakali lovers of Chennai will encourage and support art promoters like Shri.A.K.Asokan (indiansarts.com).

The two days with the kathakali artists and yahoo kathakali group members Mr.Asokan(Indiansarts), Mr.K.S.Mohandas, Mr.Vaidyanathan, Mr.Rajesh and Mr.Sandeep (Banglore), I remembered the padam in Kuchelavritham.

"Sathukkalude sangam theerthasnana samanam"
Compiled by: Shri. C.Ambujakshan Nair
                      Email:canair1954@yahoo.co.in