Keeping alive ritualistic' performances

Sangeeth Chakyar will be performing Kutiyattam, an old form of Sanskrit theatre in Hyderabad over the weekend on an invitation from the Kutiyattam Kendra of Sangeet Natak Akademi and Nartanam.

Says K.K. Gopalakrishnan, project director, Kutiyattam Kendra, “This art form was recognised by Unesco as ‘Masterpieces of oral and intangible heritage of humanity’. Artiste Sangeeth Chakyar adds, “I was trained at Kerala Kalamandalam under Rama Chakyar and try my best to uphold the tradition of a ‘ritualistic performance’. Kutiyattam was performed in temples for the Almighty. But now, it is difficult to hold the attention of an audience with spiritual performances.  Due to this reason, a few elements such as  Vidushakan (clown) have crept in. We would be performing Subhadradhananjayam from the Mahabharata; Kailasodharanam and Parvativiraham from Thoranayudhanga of Abhishek Nataka with Ravana as the narrator. The sounds of Mizhavu and Idakka percussion instruments are important and so is the long hours of make-up,” he concludes.

— The writer is a musician, creator of ‘Jaywant Guitar’ and a photographer