Chakyar

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Chakyar (also spelled Cakyar, Chakkiar, Chakiar, etc.) is a priestly caste coming under the Ambalavasi community of Hindus in the Kerala state of India.[ citation needed ]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koodiyattam</span> Traditional performing art form in Kerala, India

Koodiyattam is a traditional performing art form in the state of Kerala, India. It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre with elements of Koothu, an ancient performing art from the Sangam era. It is officially recognised by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mizhavu</span> Type of Percussion instrument

A mizhav or mizhavu is a big copper drum played as an accompanying percussion instrument in the Koodiyattam and Koothu, performing arts of Kerala. It is played by the Ambalavasi Nambiar community. After 1965, when started a mizhavu repertory in kalamandalam mizhavu break the caste barrier and nowadays anyone can play mizhavu in koodiyattam, nangiar koothu, chakyar koothu, and mizhavu thayambaka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mani Damodara Chakyar</span> Indian actor

Mani Damodara Chakyar is a Kutiyattam and Chakyar Koothu artist in Kerala state of south India. He is a nephew and disciple of legendary guru Nātyāchārya Vidūshakaratnam Padma Shri Māni Mādhava Chākyār. He belongs to the great Mani Chakyar tradition of Koodiyattam and Chakyar koothu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mani Madhava Chakyar</span> Indian actor (1899–1990)

Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar (15 February 1899 – 14 January 1990) was a celebrated master performance artist and Sanskrit scholar from Kerala, India, considered to be the greatest Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam artist and authority of modern times. He was considered as the authority of Abhinaya and Nātyaśāstra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chakyar koothu</span>

Chakyar Koothu is a performance art from Kerala, India. It is primarily a type of highly refined monologue where the performer narrates episodes from Hindu epics and stories from the Puranas. Sometimes, however, it is also a traditional equivalent of the modern stand-up comedy act, incorporating commentary on current socio-political events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killikkurussimangalam</span> Village in Kerala, India

Killikkurussimangalam is a village around 8 km from nearby town Ottappalam in Palakkad district of Kerala, south India. The river Nila (Bharatapuzha) flows through the southern border of Lakkidi.

Avittathur is a small village in Thrissur district of Kerala state, India. It was one of the 64 original Brahmin settlement in the Kerala state. It is famous for an ancient shiva temple, where 4 very old inscriptions have been discovered. According to legend, the temple was consecrated by sage agastya and the name of the village was originally agastyaputtur but it seems to be just the Sanskritization of the word. Legendary Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam maestro Nātyāchārya Vidūshakaratnam Padma Shri Māni Mādhava Chākyār used to perform here for decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thiruvangad Sree Ramaswami Temple</span> Hindu temple in Kerala, India

Thiruvangad Sree Ramaswami Temple is a temple located in the eastern part of Thalassery. The temple is generally known as the Brass Pagoda from the copper sheeting of its roof. A part of the temple was damaged by Tipu Sultan's troops in the 18th century, but the temple is believed to have been saved from destruction. It was one of the outposts of the Thalassery fort in the 18th century. Conferences between the officials of the East India Company and local leaders in its precincts, at which political treaties and agreements were signed. The annual festival of the temple commences on Vishu day in Medam and lasts for seven days.

Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair was a Kathakali dancer from Kerala in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nangiar koothu</span>

Nangiar koothu or Nangyar Koothu is an allied traditional art of Kutiyattam, an age-old Sanskrit drama tradition of India. It is performed traditionally by the women of the Ambalavasi Nambiar community of Kerala, known as Nangyaramma, but since the second half of the 20th century it's no longer the case.

<i>Manifestations of Shiva</i> 1980 American film

Manifestations of Shiva is a 1980 documentary film (90-minute) about the Hindu god Shiva's worship. It carries the performance aspects of Shiva-worship through dance, performing art, visual art and music. The film is directed by Malcolm Leigh and main casting is done by the legendary Kutiyattam artist and authority of Abhinaya and Natya Shastra scholar - Nātyāchārya Guru Māni Mādhava Chākyār.

Ammannur Madhava Chakyar was a master of Kutiyattam, the classical Sanskrit theatrical form indigenous to Kerala. He is best known for taking the performances from the temple sanctuaries where they were formerly confined and making them public events.

<i>Mani Madhaveeyam</i>

Mani Madhaveeyam is a biographical book written on the life of Guru Māni Mādhava Chākyār (1989–1991), who was the greatest Kutiyattam-Chakyar Koothu exponent and Rasa-abhinaya maestro of modern times. The book is published by the Department of Cultural Affairs of Government of Kerala, India in May 1991. The author of the book is Das Bhargavinilayam

<i>Mani Madhava Chakyar: The Master at Work</i> 1994 Indian film by Kavalam Narayana Panicker

Mani Madhava Chakyar: The Master at Work is a 1994 biographical film on the life and work of Māni Mādhava Chākyār, maestro of Kutiyattam. The film is directed by Kavalam Narayana Panicker and produced by Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.

<i>Kudiattam</i> 1986 Indian film

Kudiattam is a 1986 documentary film on 2000-year-old Sanskrit drama tradition of Kerala state of India, Kutiyattam. The film is directed by Prakash Jha. The film features greatest Kutiyattam maestro of modern times Guru Natyacharya Māni Mādhava Chākyār. The film has won Indian government's National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film in 1987.

Kodungallur Kovilakam, is a palace of the royal family of the late [medieval] Kingdom of Kodungallur (Cranganore), in the modern-day Indian state of Kerala. Kodungallur was a feudal principality subordinate to the rulers of the Kingdom of Cochin from the later half of the eighteenth century until Indian independence. The Kingdom of Kodungallur was under the protection of the Dutch government after 1707 for a few years before returning to its allegiance to the Zamorin. The Kodungallur Royal Family had two branches, at Chirakkal Kovilakam and at Puthen Kovilakam.

Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar is well known Kutiyattam artist from Thrissur, Kerala, India. He was trained under his grand uncle Padmabhushan Dr. Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar. for Fifteen years at Ammannur Gurukulam with the Scholarship from Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi.

Kalamandalam Sivan Namboodiri is an Indian classical theatre performer, the first person from outside chakyar community to practice Koodiyattam, from Kerala. He was awarded the Padma Shri, in 2012, for his contributions to the art of Koodiyattam, by the Government of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakyar</span> Actor (1928–2009)

Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakyar (1928–2009) was an exponent of Koodiyattam, a traditional form of Sanskrit theatre from Kerala, which has been recognised by UNESCO as an Oral and Intangible Heritage of Mankind. Born in a family of Koodiyattam performers, in 1928, at Ammannur, a small hamlet near Irinjalakuda, in Thrissur district in the south Indian state of Kerala, Chakyar had his early training in the art form from within his family. Ammannur Madhava Chakyar, a renowned Koodiyattam performer and a Padmabhushan awardee, was his cousin and the two, later, would evolve a new school of performance, popularly known as the Ammannur tradition of Koodiyattam. When Margi, an institution promoting traditional art forms of Kerala, started their Koodiyattam training centre in 1981, he was the first residential guru. The institution imparted training to many aspiring performers which included two sons of Chakyar, Margi Sajeev Narayana Chakiar and Margi Madhu and both of them are known exponents of the art form. In 1998, Chakyar joined Nepathya, a centre for excellence in Kudiyattam, as the Mukhya Acharya, and continued his association with the institution till his last. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2008, for his contributions to Arts. He died in 2009, at the age of 81. He is remembered by an annual festival, Guru Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakyar Memorial Kutiyttam Festival, at Moozhikkulam, a suburb of Kochi where Nepathya is headquartered in, and through orations organised by Nepathya.