Major kutiyattam artists and families

29 Pages·1994·11 MB·English

by  Menon, K P S

Major Kiitiyattam Artists and Families
K.P.S.MEI"O:-l
Though Chakyars necessarily receive their training both in the presentation of
KiitiyanamandtheexpositionofKuttu, usuallythey do not excelequallyinboth,
Thosebetteratoraldelivery,thaninvisualappealor histrionictalentspecializeis
Kiittuand take the role of Vidushaka in the performances, Those endowed withgoo!
looks and artistic skill become actors ofgreat calibre. In the past, inclassical arts lile
Kii~yat!am and Kiittu, there were many old masters, who have had gloriouscareersas
artists.andthisessaytriestoremember SOme ofthem.
KUTfAI"CHERRY
KuttancherryItteeri Chakyar
InthecourseoftimemanyChakyarfamilieshaveshiftedfrom theiroriginallocations.
but Kuttancherry Chakyar Matham, situated in Nelluvayi near Wadakkancherry, still
remains in the same place. Itteeri Chakyar, who belonged to this family and .'
contemporaryof Melppanur NarayanaBhattatiri, was a masterof oral expression.HeB
believedtohaveusedtheprabandhas ofMeIpatturforthe first time,inhisexpositionof
Kiittu.AlmostalltheChakyars whohailed from the Kuttancherryfamilybecamefamous
mainlyfortheirvak(verbalexpression).Humourinoralexpressionwasanotedtraitm
theirfamily.
KuttancherryMootha(Senior)Chakyar
Usually a Namboothiri who goes astray due to force of circumstances becomes'
Chakyar.Though suchoccasionswererare,aNamboothiriwho getsexcomrnunica~~
received intoaChakyarfamily whichiswilling to accept him. (While theNambOOthinS
fQIIQWapatriarchialsystem,theChakyarshaveadopted matriarchy in theircommumry~
There was thesystem of 'chorukotlllletukkuka' (accepting thenew member byoffeong
himrice).ThusNeelakanthanNamboothirifromPerumanamregionbecame amemberci
KuttancherryChakyarMatham. He was anexpert at Vedic chanting. He is saidtohN
ini.ti~lly WQrship~d Lord Shasta ofTiruvallakkavu temple by bestowing Qfferings,let
galOlOg mastery10 VedicChanting,andafter hisexcommunication repeated theoffewnD:S
hav~
to forget hisskill.Finally: when hebecame a Chakyar, he seems to doneita
ume,forattammg proficiency10 oralnarration. Becausehe wasthescmonnost arnog
hiscontemporaries, he wasasknown 'Mootha' Chakyar.
Moo~a
, Chakyarbecame famous,either due tothe blessings of LordShastaordue:
hISown inherenttalent.HisteacherwasManiParamesvara Chakyar,whowaspeerless

Above:Ravena
(Katti- MargiMadhu)
inUdyanaPravesam.
Righi:Sugriva(Blad,
Beard- Ammannur
Parameswaramin
BCl/il¥ldlwm.
L'ihaNangi3l'performingNangiarKuttu.
Jatayu(Bird)inJara)'llmdhankam-arearview.
Ajjuku(KalamandalamGirija)andSakhi(KalamandalamSailaja)inBhagavadajjuka.
Surpenakha(KalamandalamRamaChakyar)inninam ('blood-display')afterherdisfigurementinSurpanakhankam.
Left: MargiSathi in
NangiarKuttu.
Below: Vidushaka
(Moozhikulam
KochukuttanChakyar)
andSamvarana
(Pazhuppu-Margi
Sajeev)in
Taponsamvarana.
rParumeswara
I:Ammannu (WhiteBeard)
.yuras Hanuman . ".lakuda
ngllli.vcmtnmatIrinja
.mpalam.
.A scenefrornStl!iwuihmn
W '. hi"Hanuman
10ngnr: Radhukrishnart].
amandalam 1 Rama
-iva(Kalarnandaam .
r
B' tKalurrumdalarn
.yar). aI hi i] Lakshnuna
nNamboot In . " h )
~'halanJ Ranta(P3I.:l: a.
AnmannurMadhavaChakyarmakingupasVidushaka.
ViewofKuttampalamatVadakkunathantemple.
TheinterioroftheKuetaJnpalamatIrinjaIakuda.