Assignment on ritual artforms -chakyarkoothu

ASSIGNMENT

 RITUAL ARTFORMS OF KERALA:

INTRODUCTION

“Ritual art” is a movement in art created in the second decade of the 21st century which is best known for putting the rituals at the base of the artwork.Ritual art forms are performed with particular motives like attaining prosperity, eliminating evil possessions and diseases or pleasing a deity. Dance and songs with the accompanying traditional musical instruments, colorful ritual paintings called 'Kalam' and indigenous decorations are the specialties of many of these art forms.  Some of these are very complex tantric rituals.These art forms help one to experience a gamut of varied emotions ranging from passion, love, kindness, compassion to mirth, joy, sorrow, grief,and from anger, wonder, horror to fear, valour, courage etc.

CHAKYAR KOOTHU

Chakyar Koothu is a traditional dance form of Kerala that is performed in temples. Chakyar Koothu was originally performed only in Koothambalam of Hindu temples. It is a highly refined monologue where the performer narrates episodes from Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Sometimes it is done as a stand-up comedy act, incorporating commentary on current socio political events. 

Koothu is an art form in which the stories of Hindu mythology and epics are orally rendered primarily with the support of acting and hand gestures. In the olden days, it was confined to temple premises.  Only the members of the Chakyar community performed this art form and hence the name Chakyar Koothu. This was performed in temple theatres called Koothambalam.Padma Shri Mani Madhava Chakyar, a virtuoso of this art, who took Koothu and Koodiyattam outside the temples to the common people. He was the first to perform Chakyar Koothu for All India Radio and Dordarshan.

The highlights of Chakyar Koothu, is satire, social criticism, humor and related stories or episodes presented during the performance.  In the olden days of royalty, the Chakyar had the right to criticise even the King and his acts while performing.  The practice was that the audience should listen to the Chakyar and accept his criticisms.  Any opposition to comments made by the Chakyar while performing would have led to an end in the performance of the art form in that premises for ever.

HISTORY 

Chakyar Koothu was originally performed only in Koothambalam of Hindu temples. It was Natyacharya- meaning a great teacher and practitioner of natyam (dramaturgy), a title accorded in his honour- Padma Shri Māni Mādhava Chākyār, a virtuoso of this art, who took Koothu and Koodiyattam outside the temples to the common people. He was the first to perform Chakyar Koothu for All India Radio and Doordarshan. Many consider him to be the greatest Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam artist of modern times. The story goes that his guru, Rama Varma Parikshith Thampuran wrote a Sanskrit champu prabandha called Prahlādacharita and requested some senior artists to study and perform it, but they found it impossible to do. It was then young Māni Madhava Chakyar's turn to try. He agreed and studied a part of the prabandha overnight and performed it the next day at Tripunithura, then the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin. The incident proved his mastery of both Sanskrit and the classical art forms. After some months, he performed the entire Prahlādacharita on the same stage.The late Ammannur Madhava Chakyar and Painkulam Raman Chakyar were another important 20th century figure in this art form.

FAMOUS ARTISTS FROM KERALA

• Padma Shri Mani Madhava Chakyar

• Ammannur Madhava Chakyar

• Painkulam Raman Chakyar

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP

In Chakyar Koothu the entire story is presented by a single performer. The costumes are that of a court jester. Facial make-up is done with rice powder, turmeric powder and black powder. He wears an ornament in one ear and a betel leaf in the other.

INSTRUMENT USED

An accompanying artist plays the percussion instrument Mizhavu in the background.

The Koothambalam – temple for performance is constructed as per the specifications advocated by Bharatha Muni in Natyasastra. As per the guidelines it is within the Pancha Prakaras (five enclosures) of the temple. It would be a closed hall divided into two portions. There would be a Natya Mandapam which would be a square platform with pillars around it and a roof on top of it. The Mandapam is decorated traditionally using bunches of coconuts, palm fronds, A Para with rice and the Pookola is placed in front of the lighted brass lamp in the Mandapam. The Mizhavu is placed in its frame and the drummer sits in a high seat. The performance starts with  Mizhavu Anakkal – the announcement that performance is about to start. The Chakyar starts his performance as the devotee and seeks the blessing of the God. He then dons different roles during his performance. He is the lucid singer – reciting Sanskrit verses, then a narrator – unfolding the essence of the verses in Malayalam, in between a jester – highlighting the irony in the society and our lives, and a dancer – dancing to the drums. In short a complete performer – entertaining and educating the audience with his wisdom and art.

Many temples are well known for the their Koothambalams, Sreekrishna Temple – Guruvayur, Koodalmanikyam – Irinjalakuda, Vadakkumnathan – Trichur, Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple – Kottayam, Subramnaya Temple – Haripad, Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathy Temple – Angadipuram and many more are famous for their Koothambalam. Non-traditional i.e outside the temples Koothambalam are found at the Kerala Kalamandalam at Cheruthuruthy and Vylopilly Samskarika Nilayam, Trivandrum.

CONCLUSION

Chakyar Koothu is a satire form of art and it has everything to entertain everyone. It creates a lot of laughter and the subject of Chakyar Koothu reveals some contemporary events. The Chakyar is a joker and he makes gestures and tells jokes to entertain the audience. It’s an art form with much specialty. Chakyar Koothu, the art form, ensures a lot of enjoyment and it can be viewed without laughter is impossible. Chakyar Koothu has a tradition over hundreds of years. Still, this unparalleled art form gets much attention from temple venues. The Kathakali and Chakkiar Kooths, the art form of Kerala entertains hundreds of foreign visitors every year. They visit the temple venues of Kerala to enjoy these art forms. It has everything that you would prefer from an art form especially with a lot of humor and dramatic expressions. The Chakyar Koothu and Kathakali are very colorful entertaining art forms of Kerala and which have to preserve for the coming generations. Day by day, these art forms are diminishing and the new generation should have approached with interest and thrust to study and play these arts. The Chakyar Koothu , the art form goes through current socio-political affairs and it’s a complete art form to entertain everybody.