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Vazhenkada | |
---|---|
village | |
Coordinates: 10°55′30″N76°17′45″E / 10.92500°N 76.29583°E | |
Country | India |
State | Kerala |
District | Malappuram |
Languages | |
• Official | Malayalam, English, |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
Vehicle registration | KL- 10 and KL 53 |
Coastline | 0 kilometres (0 mi) |
Climate | Tropical monsoon (Köppen) |
Avg. summer temperature | 38 °C (100 °F) |
Avg. winter temperature | 18 °C (64 °F) |
Vazhenkada is a village, known for its Kathakali heritage, on the banks of the river Thootha in Malappuram district of Kerala in southern India. [1] The nearest small towns are Cherpulassery (in Palakkad district) to its south 8 kilometres away and Perintalmanna to its north 12 kilometres away.
Vazhenkada's place on the cultural map owes largely to having been the native place of eminent Kathakali artiste, Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, a frontline disciple of the legendary Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon. Kunchu Nair's son, Vazhenkada Vijayan, is a Kathakali artiste of repute, having retired from Kerala Kalamandalam, where his father too had worked as a teacher for long. Another of Kunchu Nair's son, P.V. Sreevalsan, is a Kathakali aesthete and author of a Malayalam novel called Keshabharam. Kunchu Nair lived close to the Narasimhamoorthy temple in Vazhenkada.
Other famous Kathakali artistes hailing from Vazhenkada include Kalamandalam Balaraman and Kalamandalam Krishnadas (chenda), Kottakkal Devadas (actor-dancer) and Vazhenkada Anandan (Kathakali musician), besides the late Vazhenkada Govinda Warrier (Kathakali make-up), Vazhenkada Kunjunni Nair, Kalamandalam Rajagopal, Vazhenkada Krishna Warrier and Vazhenkada Rama Warrier.
Vazhenkada village connects to other parts of India through Perinthalmanna town. National highway No.66 passes through Tirur and the northern stretch connects to Goa and Mumbai. The southern stretch connects to Cochin and Trivandrum. Highway No.966 goes to Palakkad and Coimbatore. The nearest airport is at Kozhikode. The nearest major railway station is at Shoranur.
Perumanoor Gopinathan Pillai, more popularly known as Guru Gopinath was a well known Indian actor-cum-dancer. He is well regarded as the greatest preserver of the dance tradition. He is a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Fellowship, and the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award.
Kavalappara Narayanan Nair (1882–1948) was a prominent 20th-century Kathakali artiste and tutor who specialised in the Hanuman roles of the classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India.
Tirur is a major municipal town in Tirur Taluk, Malappuram district, in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 16.55 square kilometres (6.39 sq mi).
Cheruthazham is a Census Town and Grama Panchayat in Kannur district in the state of Kerala, India. It is the location of the famous Hanumarambalam, dedicated to Sri Rama and Hanuman.Cherutazham is also the birthplace of Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair who gave a new dimension to the art of Kathakali. There are many artists in Cherutazham who are experts in the traditional musical items like "panchavadyam", "taayambaka", "chenda melam" etc. The new generation of Cherutazham is also getting trained in these art forms.
Kottakkal Sivaraman was a performing artiste who revolutionised the portrayal of female roles in Kathakali, the classical dance-drama from Kerala in southern India.
Vellinezhi is a small but culturally crucial village located in Palakkad district of Kerala in southern India.
Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair was a performer of Kathakali, who practiced the Kerala art form for more than seven decades.
Gandhi Seva Sadan is a Kathakali institution located in Perur village, some 12 kilometres east of Ottapalam in Palakkad district of north-central Kerala in southern India. It was founded in 1953 by the (late) Gandhian and freedom fighter K. Kumaran, equally known for his unflagging devotion to the promotion of the arts.
Pathirippala is a town in Palakkad district, Kerala, India, between Ottappalam and Palakkad on the Palakkad–Ponnani state highway SH 23.
Kothachira is a village in central Kerala, southern India. The village is located on the borders of Thrissur and Palakkad districts and is also known as Kothara.
Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair (1916–2007) was a Kathakali artist from Kerala, India. Endowed and equipped with a life profile that also showed him to several traditional Indian performing arts other than Kathakali, his stage presentation infused a fresh breath into the four-century-old art form, thanks also to his broad and deep view about the Puranas that spurred from a constant pursuit of knowledge through reading books and engaging in talks with scholars.
Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon (1880–1948) was a pivotal figure in the history of Kathakali, having played a crucial role in remoulding and refining its grammar in the famed Kalluvazhi tradition of the classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India. He was trained in the art form at a culture-patronising Namboodiri mansion in Vellinezhi near his home.
Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, also spelt Kunju Nair, (1909-1981) was an Indian Kathakali dancer.
Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody was an Indian Kathakali actor known for his classical dance-drama of Kerala. A frontline disciple of Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, he exceled in virtuous pachcha, anti-hero Kathi and the semi-realistic minukku roles alike. Nalan, Bahukan, Arjunan, Bhiman, Dharmaputrar, Rugmangadan, Narakaasuran, Ravanan, Parashuraman and Brahmanan were his masterpieces. Vasu Pisharody performed Kathakali all over India and visited foreign countries about 20 times.
Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri or Nelliyod Vasudevan Namboodiri was a Kathakali artiste, noted primarily for his vibrant portrayal of the evil chuvanna thaadi roles of the classical Kathakali dance-drama from Kerala in south India. He was also very famous and known for the characters 'Kuchelan' from Kuchelavritham and 'Aashaari' from Bakavadham.
Kottakkal Chandrasekharan was a senior Kathakali artiste known for his portrayal of the virtuous pachcha and anti-heroic Kathi roles in the classical dance-drama from Kerala in south India.
Vazhenkada Vijayan is a senior Kathakali exponent and a retired principal of Kerala Kalamandalam, the performing art institute where he was trained in the classical dance-drama from Kerala in southern India.
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Kalamandalam V. Satyabhama was an Indian classical dancer, teacher and choreographer, known for her performances and scholarship in Mohiniyattam. She was awarded the Padma Shri, in 2014, for her contributions to the art and culture, by the Government of India.
Kalamandalam Rajan was a Kathakali exponent from Kerala, India. He has received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 2009, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Gurupooja award 2006.