Koodiyattam a form of Sanskrit theatre in Kerala

Koodiyattam is recognized by the UNESCO as one of the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. The Koodiyattam tradition of enacting classical Sanskrit dramas, is closely tied to Kerala’s Hindu temples. It is a comprehensive theatre form that has existed since before the tenth century AD and is India’s oldest theatre to have been continuously performed. Koodiyattam has the same delight in nuance and hidden shades of meaning in metaphors and delicate implications which is the hallmark of so much of Sanskrit literature.
There is  clear evidence of efforts to reform Koodiyattam by one king, Kulashekhara Varman by the 9th to the 10th century A.D. As such reforms give rise to the supposition of a long-standing tradition, literary sources assume that Koodiyattam has a continuous history of at least 1000 years.  This  makes Koodiyattam the oldest surviving form of Sanskrit theatre.

Traditionally, the actors have been members of the Chakyar caste, themselves belonging to the Ambalavasi or temple dweller caste, the elite among the temple servants.
The dedication of this community of artists, considering their profession as kuladharma (family duty) is responsible for the preservation of Koodiyattam through the centuries. Nambiars, a sub-caste of drummers, have been associated with this theatre as players of the mizhavu ( a pot-shaped, large drum unique to Koodiyattam). It is the women of the Nambiar community who act the female characterizations and play the bell- metal cymbals.
While most of  the about 18 Chakyar families and an equal number of Nambiar families have given up the traditional profession in the course of the past 50 years, the Ammanur family alone continues to maintain the inherited profession.

Koodiyattom is a peculiar combination  of the Sanskrit concept of theatre,  operating  within strict religious and ritualistic boundaries  and  an  independent interpretation of the text.
Here we find also the meeting of the two world views:  the patriarchal and matrilineal. The Chakyars are the male actors and chief custodians of the art, while sharing the stage with theNangyars, women of matrilineal households and their men folk, the Nambiar drummers. While the Chakyars are said to be of Aryan origin and therefore probably carriers of Sanskrit learning, the Nangyars are local and their inclusion represents thus a harmonious fusion between two distinct cultures.
While Koodiyattam‘s Vedic/Sanskrit  origins have been preserved and regarded as a sacrilege, the actor’s independent interpretation of the text has simultaneously adapted to regional tastes until Koodiyattam has been assimilated as a supremely art of Kerala. The vigor of the folk art roots of Koodiyattam and Koothu may explains to a large extent that this art form is still alive. The performances of a drama usually last several days and the enacting in the original form of a single act may even take up to 41 days. It will  begin at 9 p.m. after the close of rituals in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, and continue till midnight, sometimes till 3 a.m. before the commencement of the morning rituals.
The first day may have the form of a sacrificial offering to the deity with initial invocatory rituals followed by preliminaries like certain abstract cadence of movement performed behind a curtain and without the audience seeing any acting at all.

In the next phase the character introduces himself by presenting his personal history including perhaps his past life. The Chakyar actor has almost full freedom to choose which legends associated with the character he wishes to emphasize and  thus becomes an important interpreter of his role .
The complete performance of the drama – from beginning to end – is performed on the last day.

Arts & Culture Attractions art form, art form in cochin, art forms in kerala, art forms of kerala, chakyar, culture of kerala, koodiyattam, sanskrit theatre, traditional