Although street performances similar to circuses have existed in India since ancient times, a circus similar to the one described by Philip Astley, known as the father of the modern circus, as described in 1770, only existed in India in the 1880s.
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Although street performances similar to circuses have existed in India since ancient times, a circus similar to the one described by Philip Astley, known as the father of the modern circus, as described in 1770, only existed in India in the 1880s.
In 1879, the Royal Italian Circus by Giuseppe Chiarini toured India. Before all his shows started, he would tell the audience that India did not have a proper circus and would have to wait many more years to develop one. In addition, he offered "a thousand British Indian rupees and a horse" as a gift to anyone who could repeat his daring stage effects within six months. [1]
When Chiraini's show was going on in Bombay, Balasahib Patwardhan, the king of the Kurundwad princely state of Sangli (today’s Kolhapur) also came to see it. Balasahib was accompanied by Vishnupant Chatre, the keeper of his stable and riding master at the stables. Chatre also had some experience with teaching horses. Accepting the challenge, Chatre announced that he would perform the same in Kurundwad within three months. Failing that, he promised Chiarini that he would return "ten thousand British Indian rupees and the top ten horses." [1] On March 20, 1880, Chatre came to perform his circus at the Kurundwad Palace Grounds, but Chiarini, worried about not having the money to go back after his performance in Kolkata, did not come to see it. [1]
Vishnupant Chatre bought most of the circus equipment from Chiarini. [2] Within a year, he formed the first circus company in India, the Great Indian Circus. [2] Chatre's Great Indian Circus toured locally in India (including the same venue where the Chiarini's performance was held in Bombay) and internationally in locales such as Sri Lanka, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Japan. He eventually merged his circus company with his cousin's to form a new company called the Karlekar Grand Circus. The Karlekar Grand Circus lasted until 1935.
Inspired by Chiarini's circus at Kolkata, in 1887 Priyanath Bose from Bengal founded the Great Bengal Circus and toured Bengal, India and South East Asia. [3]
The first circus company in Kerala State, Malabar Grand Circus, was inaugurated at Chirakkara on February 2, 1904 under the leadership of Pariyali Kannan, a student of Keeleri Kunjikannan. [4] The company only operated for two years.
Great Royal Circus is claimed to have started in 1909. [4] Its previous name was Madhuskar's Circus. Later, animal trainer Narayan Rao Walawalker took over the circus and renamed it to The Great Royal.
In the year 1920, Baburao Kadam founded the Grand Bombay Circus. In 1922, Keeleri's nephew K.M.Kunhikannan started the Whiteway Circus. He later founded Hind Lion circus as well. In 1947, these three circuses were merged to form Great Bombay Circus. [4]
In 1924, another student of Keeleri, Kallan Gopalan, started the Great Rayman Circus. [4]
Vijaya Circus was owned by R. V. Mamoo of Akola, Maharashtra and had only a two-pole tent, two lions, one elephant, and the other essential equipment. Mamoo sold it to M. V. Shankaran in 1951 for Rs. 5000. Shankaran renamed this circus to Gemini Circus. (See: Champad, Sreedharan. 2013. An Album of Indian Big Tops (History of Indian Circus), Houston: Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Co., p. 64 and 66). [5]
In 1888, Chatre's Great Indian Circus toured Thalassery, Kannur, Kerala. It was in Thalassery that Chatre met Kalaripayattu (a type of traditional marshal art) and gymnastic trainer Keeleri Kunhikannan. An agreement was signed between Keeleri Kunhikannan and Chatre, according to that Keeleri Kunhikannan agreed to train the trainees for the circus and Chatre agreed to employ them. [4] For this, Keeleri started a new circus school at Chirappuram near Thalassery, Kannur. [6] The name of his institute was All India Circus Training Hall. [7] In 1901, the Government of Kerala started a Circus Academy in Thalassery, Kannur. It was the first government circus academy in the country. [8]
After Kunhikannan’s death in 1939, one of his student M. K. Raman started Keeleri Kunhikannan Teacher Memorial Circus & Gymnastic Training Centre in Chirakkara. [6]
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Thalassery, formerly Tellicherry, is a municipality and commercial city on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the districts of Mahe, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kasaragod and Kodagu (Karnataka). Thalassery municipality has a population of just under 100,000 as of 2011 census. Thalassery Heritage City has an area of 23.98 square kilometres (9.26 sq mi). Thalassery has an altitude ranging from 2.5 to 30 metres above mean sea-level.
Mattanur, also spelled Mattannur, is a town, municipality, and an aerotropolis in Kannur district, Kerala, India. Mattanur is about 27 km east of Kannur and Thalassery, two major towns of the district.
Kurundwad is a town on the banks of the Panchganga river, 55 km from Kolhapur in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Peringathur is a census town in Thalassery taluk of Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a part of the municipality of Panoor.
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Sree Andalurkavu is a very ancient and famous and prominent Thiyya Community Urayima temple in Andalur in Dharmadam village of Kannur district, Kerala, India. It counts among the Abhimana Kshethras of Vaishnavite Shrines. This ancient temple is in the name of Lord Rama and the main festival is celebrated in mid-February: the first week of the month "Kumbam" of the Malayalam calendar. This Kavu also has a story of how the Kalaripayat warrior Thacholi Othenan, who once caused trouble in this Thiyar-dominated Kavu Andalur of Thalassery, was punished and defeated by the Thiyars and crossed the country through the bridge.
Priyanath Bose also known as Professor Bose was an Indian circus performer and entrepreneur. In 1887 he founded The Great Bengal Circus with an all-Indian team and toured Bengal, India and South East Asia. He is considered to be one the pioneers of circus in India.
Keeleri Kunjikannan was an Indian martial arts trainer and gymnast. He was one of the earliest circus owners in India.
Kannur, formerly known in English as Cannanore, Arabic as Kannanur, and Portuguese as Cananor, is a city and a Municipal Corporation in North Malabar region, state of Kerala, India. It is the largest city in North Malabar, which is the northernmost region of Kerala. It is sometimes identified Kolathunadu, which was ruled by the Kolathiris. In the 12th and 13th centuries there was trade with Persia and Arabia.
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Vishnupant Moreshwar Chatre (1840-1905) was an Indian circus owner who is considered the founder of the modern Indian circus. His circus company Great Indian Circus was the first circus company in India. Chatre met martial arts trainer Keeleri Kunhikannan when Great Indian Circus toured Thalassery, Kerala in 1887. In this visit an agreement was signed between Keeleri Kunjikannan and Chatre, according to that Keeleri Kunjikannan agreed to train the trainees for the circus and Chatre agreed to employ them. This led to the development of first circus academy in the country.
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Sreedharan Champad was an Indian circus artist, circus historian and Malayalam-language writer from Kerala. He worked in a number of fields, including working as circus manager, flying trapeze artist, circus company public relations officer, auto driver, bill collector, journalist and writer. Champad wrote over 20 books including novels, more than 100 short stories, biographies and articles. His book An Album of Indian Big Tops chronicles the history of the circus industry in India from 1880 to 2010.
Moorkkoth Vengakkandi Sankaran, popularly known as Gemini Shankaran, was an Indian circus owner, businessperson and one of the pioneers of the circus industry in India. Sankaran was a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Government of India.
Giuseppe Chiarini was an Italian equestrian, horse trainer, and international circus owner.