the oldest surviving form of Sanskrit theatre.
Inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, Koodiyattam (kutiyattam) is a still living 1000 year old art form native to Kerala, India. Koodiyattam has the same delight in nuance and hidden shades of meaning in metaphors and delicate implications which is the hallmark of so much of Sanskrit literature. The art form is performed by enacting classical sanskrit dramas.
Currently, the Koodiyattam performance is mainly centered on two stories -Soorpanakhangam and Jatayuvadham.
Soorpankhangam (the battle with Soorpanakha): It is the enactment of an episode in “Ramayana” (mythological story of Lord Rama, Sita and Ravana). Soorpanakha, a Rakshasi (demonic woman) appeared before Rama and Lakshmana at Panchavati where from Ravana had abducted Sita, the wife of Rama. The unparallel beauty of Rama impressed Soorpanakha highly. She transformed herself as a beautiful lady and advanced towards Rama with the motive of making love with Rama. Rama realized her motive and showed no interest at all towards her. She became infuriated. Sensing her mood, Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, lost his control seeing her nose and breasts. Following this, she turned to her original form (Rakshasi) and disappeared. The performance ends here.
Jatayuvadham (killing of Jatayu): On seeing Sita, a world beauty, Ravana decides to abduct her and make her his own. Ravana and his charioteer Soothan take the shape of Rama and Lakshmana respectively to hoodwink Sita. She fell in their trap. They told her they are returning to Ayodhya, the place of Rama. En-route, Ravana’s hand accidentally touched Sita’s Choodamani (a jewelled stud worn on the head). The divine power of the stud caused Ravana to transform to his original form. Seeing the real Ravana, Sita got horrified and begged Lakshmana (Soothan disguised as Lakshmana) to escape her. Following the request, the disguised Lakshmana becomes real Soothan. Sita started wailing. Hearing the wailing of Sita, Jatayu (a bird friend of Rama) comes to the scene and attempts to save Sita by fighting with Ravana. The enraged Ravana cut one wing of the Jatayu. At this moment, Sita requests Jatayu to convey the incident to Rama and blesses Jatayu not to die before reporting to Rama. The performance ends with Ravana continuing the journey to Sri Lanka with Sita.
Traditionally, the actors have been members of the Chakyar caste, themselves belonging to the Ambalavasi or temple dweller caste.
The dedication of this community of artists, considering their profession as kuladharma (family duty) is responsible for the preservation of Koodiyattam through the centuries. Nambiars, a sub-caste of drummers, have been associated with this theatre as players of the mizhavu ( a pot-shaped, large drum unique to Koodiyattam). It is the women of the Nambiar community who act the female characterizations and play the bell- metal cymbals.
While most of the about 18 Chakyar families and an equal number of Nambiar families have given up the traditional profession in the course of the past 50 years, the Ammanur family alone continues to maintain the inherited profession.
The performance usually takes place in a kuttampalam (koothambalam), the temple of dance-drama, a structure built within the compound walls of a temple in accordance to the rules of Natyashastra, which is yet again an acoustic marvel!
