Moozhikkal Pankajakshi

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Moozhikkal Pankajakshi
Born (1936-03-14) 14 March 1936 (age 90) [1]
Urulikunnath, Pala, Kerala, India
Occupation Nokkuvidya pavakali performer
Known for Nokkuvidya pavakali
SpouseShivarama Panicker
Awards Padma Shri

Moozhikkal Pankajakshi is an expert in Nokkuvidya pavakali a form of puppetry. She was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2020. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Biography

Pankajakshi Moozhikkal Sivaraman popularly known as Moozhikkal Pankajakshi Amma was born on March 14, 1936, at Urulikunnath, Pala, Kottayam district. [5] [1] She dropped out of school midway due to financial difficulties. [1] Pankajakshiamma started learning Nokkuvidya from her mother Paappiyamma. [1] She who learned Nokkuvidya at the age of eleven, later used to perform it with songs written by her husband after her marriage. [6] A Nokkuvidya Pavakali performer for over 60 years, due to old age, vision loss and memory loss, she stopped performing Nokkuvidya at the age of 72. [7] After that she taught the folk art form to her granddaughter Renjini. [7]

Personal life

Pankajakshi Amma married Shivarama Panicker of Monippally near Uzhavoor, Kottayam district, at the age of 20. [5] [8] Couple has three children, Vijayan, Radhamani and Shiva. [5] She now lives in Monippally with her daughter Radhamani. [5]

Awards and honors

She received several awards including Padmasri (2020), India's fourth highest civilian honour and fellowship from Kerala Folklore Academy (2012). [6] [9] In 2008, as part of the Kerala Tourism Festival, she performed at Paris. [1] Apart from this Pankajakshi Amma has performed Nokuvidya in many venues in Kerala and outside Kerala. [10]

Works on her

Reshmi Radhakrishnan’s documentary film Nokkuvidya, The life of a lone string puppeteer, screened at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, is about Nokkuvidya and it's performer Pankajakshi. [7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Smt. Pankajakshi MS" (PDF). Government of India.
  2. ↑ "Puppetry still means the world to muthassi at 84'". Deepika Jayaram. The Times of India. 23 February 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  3. ↑ "Padma Shri Honour For Last Practitioner Of Kerala's Traditional Puppetry". Sanya Jain. NDTV. 30 January 2000. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "'Nokku Vidya Paavakali is grandma's life'". The Times of India . 29 January 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Thayabji, Roopa. "'11 വയസ്സ് മുതൽ നോക്കുവിദ്യ പാവകളി പഠിച്ചുതുടങ്ങി; മച്ചിങ്ങ വീണ് മുഖത്ത് ചതവും ഈർക്കിലി കുത്തിക്കയറലും അന്ന് പതിവാണ്'; പത്മശ്രീയേക്കാൾ തിളക്കത്തോടെ പങ്കജാക്ഷിയമ്മ! | Padmasree award winner". vanitha.in (in Malayalam). Vanitha . Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  6. 1 2 "പദ്‌മശ്രീയിലെ പെൺതിളക്കം-മൂഴിക്കൽ പങ്കജാക്ഷി". Kerala Women (in Malayalam). 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  7. 1 2 3 "This Malayalam documentary is about a little-known puppetry form performed by women". The News Minute. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  8. ↑ Barua, Ananya (2021-06-18). "The Fate of a Rare Dying Art Rests on The Lips of This 20-YO Kerala Girl". The Better India. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  9. ↑ "നോക്കുവിദ്യാ പാവകളിയുടെ കലാവൈഭവത്തിന് പത്മശ്രീ പുരസ്‌കാരം". Mathrubhumi. 2020-01-25. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  10. ↑ "മൂഴിക്കല്‍ വീട്ടിലെ പത്മശ്രീ". Janmabhumi . 8 March 2020. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
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