10. Kutiyattam (traditional Sanskrit theatre)

The traditional Sanskrit theatre of Kerala namely Kutiyattam is one of the oldest and continuously performed classical theatre form in India. It is the only surviving Sanskrit theatre of the ancient world. Kutiyattam is probably a regional fragment of the last grand Sanskrit classical tradition, a keralite bridge between the past and present. 20 Kutiyattam is believed to date back to about two thousand years. 30 29 Kutiyattam is complex in structure and execution. It is traditionally performed by actors and musicians in 'Kuttambalam' stage constructed in the compounds of a Hindu temple. As a result of its close association with

184 temple rituals, Kutiyattam serves the religious function as a visual sacrifice to the temple diety. Its acting style is conventional, composed of an elaborate blend of symbolic gesture, stylized costumes and physical movements and loudly chanted dialogue and verses. In the olden days the chief spectators were the members of upper class. Today men and women of other castes and communities also watch Kutiyattam and it is also performed outside the confines of orthodox temples. According to tradition, families of actors and musicians belonging to particular castes of temple servants namely Cakyars and Nambyars hold the exclusive right to perform plays in the Kerala temples. The temple records of the tenth century AD attributed to King Kulasekhara Varman indicate that Kutiyattam was already at an advanced stage of its development by this date. Kutiyattam as it exists today was remodeled during the time of Kulasekharavarma.3 31 Kutiyattam has some significant features which make it different from other Sanskrit theatrical forms. They are the elaborate and the prolanged acting of the slokas, the overriding importance of Vidusaka who speak in Malayalam and the fact that the role of females are acted by women of the Nambyar families called Nannyars. In Kutiyattam the vidusaka has a prominent place. He not only entertains the spectators, but

185 through the medium of laughter, conveys information and knowledge on several matters of ethical and social importance. The Vidusaka characters represented by Cakyars have ample verbal facility and are fluent in Sanskrit and Malayalam. They can elaborate any situation and improvise on any topic. They narrate several interesting puranic and epic stories, and give lectures on morality and devotion. For example 'Mantrankam' the third act of Bhasa's Pratijnayaugandharayana is preformed in sixteen days Kuzhaluttunni, the Vidusaka character dominates the stage for almost all the entire course of the play explaining various Sastras, Purusarthas and other age old traditions. There are slight differences between the Cakyar families in their systems of acting and training. Though all Cakyars follow the same Attaprakaram (manual of acting) of the plays, each Cakyar family has also developed its own training method even though it adheres to the same traditional system of theatre education. There are notable difference in the methods of recitation, the conduct of 'kriyas', rituals and conventions, in the rending of the musical slokas as well as in the rendering costumes and makeup. But these differences do not affect the general rules of performance which are univeraslly practiced. Among these Cakyar families presently only five families are practising Kutiyattam traditionally. Name of these families are Perinchallur

186 Manicakyar family of Kozhikodu, Koypa family of Trissur, Ammannur family of Irinjalakuda, Kuttanchery Valiyaparisha family of Kunnamkulam, Potiyil family of Kottayam and Ambalapuzha.32 According to tradition about twenty Numbiars families were performing temple arts in Kerala. But now only thirteen families are found practicing. They are Chengannur, Arattukadavu, Kaviyur, Kidangur, Eramallur, Kottayam, Muzhikulam, Trikkariyur, Tonikkal-Ernakulam, Kuzhupullimatham-Thrissur, Meledam Kochampilly and Kalakkath-Palakkad etc.` 33