Ammannur Madhava Chakyar
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Padma Bhushan
(Dr.) Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar ([May 13, 1917 - July 1, 2008) 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.
temple at Thirumandham Kunnu
, performing the role of Sutradhara in Balacharitam (a play by Bhāsa
). At the age of 14, he gave his first performance at the Koothambalam
(temple theatre house) of Vadakkunnathan Temple
in Trichur. At the age of 16, He had his debut in Prabandha Koothu
with the ritual Kuduma vakkal at the Putiya Trikkovil , Chendamangalam. After completing his basic training in the traditional style, he went for higher training in Abhinaya
and Natya Shastra
under Bhagavathar Kunjunni Thampuran at the acting laboratory supported by the Kodungallor royal family]|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodungallur_Kovilakam]. He also studied the Sanskrit language under Vidushi Kochikavu Thampuratty and Vidvan Manthitta Nambuthiri.
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
(Dr.) Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar ([May 13, 1917 - July 1, 2008) was a master of Kutiyattam, the classical Sanskrit theatrical form indigenous to Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. He is best known for taking the performances from the temple sanctuaries where they were formerly confined and making them public events.
Family
Guru Ammannur Madhava Chakyar was born into the Ammannur Chakyar family to Sreedevi Illodamma and Vellarapilli Madassi Manakkal Parameswaran Nambuthiri on 13 May 1917. Many of his family members were well known as practitioners of Kutiyattam.Training, Gurus and First Performances
He was initiated into Kutiyattam at the age of 7 and trained rigorously under his two uncles Ammannur Chachu Chakyar and Ammannur Valiya Madhava Chakyar as well as Kitangur Rama Chakyar His arangettam (debut performance) was at the age of 11 in the BhagavathiBhagavathi
Bhagavathi or Bhagavati is the general way people refer to the Hindu goddesses in Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra states of India. It can be used to refer any of the Hindu goddesses like Durga, Kannaki, Parvati, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Kali...
temple at Thirumandham Kunnu
Thirumanthamkunnu Temple
Thirumandhamkunnu Temple is a historically significant Hindu temple in Angadipuram, Malappuram district, Kerala state, South India.The temple deity, Thirumandhamkunnilamma, was the para devatha of the kings of Valluvanad, the local feudal kings ruled the area in the Middle ages...
, performing the role of Sutradhara in Balacharitam (a play by Bhāsa
Bhasa
Bhāsa is one of the earliest and most celebrated Indian playwrights in Sanskrit. However, very little is known about him.Kālidāsa in the introduction to his first play Malavikagnimitram writes -...
). At the age of 14, he gave his first performance at the Koothambalam
Koothambalam
Koothambalam' or Kuttampalam is a theater hall for staging Koothu , Nangiar koothu and Koodiyattam, the ancient dramatic art forms of Kerala, India. Koothambalams are constructed according to the guide lines given in the chapter 2 of Nātyasāstra of Bharata Muni. The hall is considered to be as...
(temple theatre house) of Vadakkunnathan Temple
Vadakkunnathan Temple
Vadakkunnathan Temple , also known as Thenkailasam and Vrishabhachalam, is an ancient Shiva temple located at the heart of Thrissur city. This temple is a classic example of the Kerala style of architecture and has formidable gopurams on all four sides and also a Koothambalam. Mural paintings that...
in Trichur. At the age of 16, He had his debut in Prabandha Koothu
Koothu
Koothu , means dance or performance in Tamil language, is a folk art originated from the early Tamil country. But more precisely Koothu refers Therukoothu that is street dance or street play since it will be performed village squares. At early age the art of entertainment reached its peak in...
with the ritual Kuduma vakkal at the Putiya Trikkovil , Chendamangalam. After completing his basic training in the traditional style, he went for higher training in Abhinaya
Abhinaya
Abhinaya is a concept in Indian dance and drama derived from Bharata's Natya Shastra. Although now, the word has come to mean 'the art of expression', etymologically it derives from Sanskrit abhi- 'towards' + nii- 'leading/guide', so literally it means a 'leading towards' Aside from its clear...
and Natya Shastra
Natya Shastra
The Natya Shastra is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written during the period between 200 BC and 200 AD in classical India and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata.The Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope...
under Bhagavathar Kunjunni Thampuran at the acting laboratory supported by the Kodungallor royal family]|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodungallur_Kovilakam]. He also studied the Sanskrit language under Vidushi Kochikavu Thampuratty and Vidvan Manthitta Nambuthiri.
Later career
In the 1980s, he became one of the first Kutiyattam performers to present his art to an international audience. He visited France and England in 1982, Switzerland and The Netherlands in 1987 and Japan in 1988.Repertory Highlights (major characters followed by the plays in which they appear)
- Bali–Balivadham
- RavanaRavana' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
–Thoranayudham, Asokavanikankam, Hanumaddutam, Jatayuvadham - SurpanakhaSurpanakhaSurpanakha or Shurpanakha is one of the most important characters in the Ramayana. Indeed, Valmiki comes close to claiming that if there had been no Kaikeyi and no Surpanakha, then there would have been no Ramayana and no war with Ravana...
–Surpanakhangam - HanumanHanumanHanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
–Thoranayudham, Ankuliyankam - BhimaBhimaIn the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
, Vidyadhara–Kalyanasaugandhikam
Positions Held
- KulapatiKulapatiKulapati is a samskrta word for headperson of a lineage. In common English parlance, Chancellor or Rector is sometimes used. "One whose greatness in comparison to others has been recognized or whose undisputed authority is unhesitatingly accepted " In ancient India, the head person of a Gurukul was...
at the Ammannur Chachu Chakyar Smaraka Gurukulam, which he co-founded with G.Venu. - Chief Resource Person at the Natanakairali Research and Performing Centre for Traditional Arts, IrinjalakudaIrinjalakudaIrinjalakuda is a municipal town situated in the Thrissur district of Kerala, India. It is famous for the sprawling Koodalmanikyam Temple that has Bharata as the main deity and the St Thomas Cathedral in the heart of the City...
. - Visiting Guru at the Margi Kutiyattam Vidyalayam (academy), Tiruvananthapuram, 1981–88
- Visiting Professor at the Kerala Kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthy, 1981–82
Well-Known Pupils
- Moozhikulam Kochukuttan Chakyar
- Ammannur Kuttam Chakyar
- G.Venu
- Usha Nangiar
- Margi Madhu
- Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar
- Sooraj Nambiar
- Pothiyil Renjith Chakyar
- Kapila
- Aparna Nangiar
- T. R. Saritha
- Margi Raman
- Margi Sajeev Narayanan
- Potiyil Narayanan
- Nirmala Paniker
- Tomoe Tara Irino
- Rathy Nangiar
Honors/Awards
- Padma BhushanPadma BhushanThe Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
from Government of India–2002 - P.S.John Endowment Award from the ErnakulamErnakulamErnakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
Press Club–2002 - Degree of Doctor of Letters from Kannur UniversityKannur UniversityKannur University was established in 1996 to provide development of higher education in Kasaragod, Kannur, and Wayanad districts of Kerala, India.It was established after the promulagation of Act No. 22 of 1996 of Kerala Legislative Assembly...
–2002 - Citation by UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
recognizing Kutiyattamas as "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity".–2001 - "Pattum Valayum" (cloth and bangle) from the KaliKali' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
and PrithviPrithviPrithvi is the sanskrit name for earth and its essence Prithivi Tattwa, in the form of a mother goddess or godmother. Prithvi is also called Dhra, Dharti, Dhrithri, meaning that which holds everything. As Prithvi Devi, she is one of two wives of Lord Vishnu. His other wife is Lakshmi. Prithvi is...
Theatre, Mumbai–1998 - Peelithirumudi Award from GuruvayurGuruvayurGuruvayur is a municipal town in Thrissur District, of Kerala State in India. It houses the famous Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple, the fourth biggest temple in India in terms of the number of devotees per day.-History:Guruvayur, according to the legends may be 5,000 years old as the Guruvayur...
Temple–1997 - Fellowship from Sangeet Natak AkademiSangeet Natak AkademiSangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
–1996 - "Veera Sringhala" from The International Centre for Kutiyattam, Thripunithura–1994
- Sree GuruvayoorappanGuruvayoorappanGuruvayurappan Guruvayurappan Guruvayurappan (Malayalam: , (transliterated guruvāyūrappan), also often written Guruvayoorappan, is a form of Vishnu worshipped and held in reverence by Hindus, predominantly in South India. This is located in the town of Guruvayur, Kerala, India...
Samman (prize) from Guruvayur Temple–1992 - Kalidas Samman from the Government of Madhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
–1992 - Fellowship from Kerala Kalamandalam–1988
- ‘Natya Kala Nidhi’, a title from the Cochin Devaswom BoardDevaswom boards in KeralaDevaswom is a socio-religious trust with government or society/community nominated members as trustees to manage temples and its assets and ensure smooth functioning of temple as per traditional rituals and customs...
–1987 - Padmashree from the Government of India–1982
- Sangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi AwardSangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
- 1979
Other sources
- Into the world of Kutiyattam : with the legendary Ammannur Madhava Chakyar by G. Venu (1945- ); foreword by Premlata Puri. Natana Kairali, 2002.