Mani Madhava Chakyar
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Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar ( Māni Mādhava Chākyār ) ( 15 February 1899 - 14 January 1990) was a performance artist and Sanskrit scholar from Kerala, South India, considered to be the greatest Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam artist and authority of modern times.
He was well versed in all the traditional Koodiyattams and all the prabandhas used in Chakyar Koothu. He was able to explain the concepts, methods and practices of Koodiyattam and Chakyar Koothu in a clear and scientific way. He had an indepth study of Nātyaśāstra of Bharata Muni, as well as different ways of acting which were popular in Kerala. His knowledge and mastery over both theory and practice of Koodiyattam were superb. He was considered as the authority of Abhinaya ( Acting ).
He had his training in Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam in the traditional way, under the direct guidance of his uncles who were great scholars and masters of these art forms. They were Guru Mani Parameswara Chakyar, Guru Mani Neelakandha Chakyar and Guru Mani Narayana Chakyar. He belongs to the great "Mani" tradition of Koodiyattam and Chakyar Koothu which gives importance to both Rasa-abhinaya and Vachika-abhinaya. He was also a Sanskrit scholar of supreme rank. He used to give lectures in Sanskrit. He studied Alankarashastra, Nātyaśāstra, Vyakarana, Nyaya, Jyotisha, etc. in the traditional way, under great scholars such as Panditaratnam Pazhedathu Sankaran Nampoothiripad. He was the beloved student of one of the greatest scholars of all time His Highness Darsanakalanidhi Rama Varma Parikshith Thampuran (Maharaja of Cochin). Mani Madhava Chakyar had his higher studies in Nyayashastra and Natya Shastra under him.
He is considered as the all time great master of Rasa-abhinaya (enacting different sentiments in their perfection) with special reference to Netrābhinaya (enacting different sentiments, etc. through the beautiful and masterly movements of eyes only). His influence in the field of different classical performing arts of Kerala is famous. Many Koodiyattam, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam artists were trained by this great master. Many great Kathakali artists including the legendary Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Guru Kelu Nair, Anand Shivram are his desciples. He is known as the master who gave eyes to Kathakali.
He is recipient of innumerable Awards, Titles and Degrees. His first major recognition came from the great Bhattan Thampuran himself at the age of 22. Bhattan Thampuran awarded him with a “Mudramothiram” (signed ring) (1921). Although he received a lot of awards, till death Mani Madhava Chakyar considered this Mudramothiram as the greatest award that he ever got. He received Veerashringhala ( Vīrasringhala ) ( It’s a kind of Golden Bracelet, given to the greatest artist/scholar of that era. ) from the great Taliparamba Rajarajeshwara Temple (1923). He is the youngest one to receive this precious award, which is being given to the scholars of the supreme rank, only by the unanimous approval of a special body of temple consisting of eminent scholars. Till date no one else has received a Veerashringhala from there after Mani Madhava Chakyar. In 1930, he was awarded with the title “Nātyāchārya” ( Guru of Natya ) by Katathanadu Valiya Thampuran. He was awarded with another major Vīrasringhalas from Kottakkal (1952), from Shri Shankaracharya of Kanchi matha (1961), from Samoothiri (1964) and from Tripunithura (1989). He received the title “Vidūshakaratna”, again from the great Taliparamba Rajarajeshwara Temple (1954) for his excellence in performing “vidūshaka” part in Koodiyattam. Government of India conferred him with Padma Shri (1974) and Emeritus Fellowship (1982). He was conferred by an honorary degree from Banaras Hindu University in 1964.
All major awards for Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam, such as the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1964), Paderewski Foundation (New York) certificate (1964), Padma Shri (1974), Kerala Sahitya Academy Award (for his book Natyakalpadrumam) (1975), the Central Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship (1976), Kerala Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship (1976), Government of India Emeritus Fellowship (1982), the Kalidasa Academy Fellowship (1982), Kerala kala mandalam Fellowship (1983), Tulsi Samman of Madhya Pradesh (1987), Guruvayoor Devasvam Award etc. for the first time came through him only.
He was considered as a reference to Abhinaya (acting) and his ability to perform the same was considered as "the perfect". His ability to perform Netrābhinaya is considered as one of the wonders of the art world, ranking alongside the symphonies of Beethoven by noted critic Dr.V.K Narayana Menon (Illustrated Weekly of India, Vol. XCIX- 37, Oct. 1-7, 1978, New Delhi, India).
Kathak maestro Birju Maharaj considered him as one of the greatest actors - "He had his own style. He could convey his thoughts through expressions. His eye movement was superb."
Noted scholar late Stella Kramrisch ( Curator of Indian Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art ) described him as "the greatest eye-wizard of the world", after seeing his Netrābhinaya.
He was known for his extra ordinary ability for expressing the NavaRasas (nine Rasas) to its supreme extent and the photos of the same are and being archived in many Art Institutions and Academies like Sangeet Natak Academy of India and museums all over the world.
He brought Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam outside Koothambalams of Hindu temples. The first Koodiyattam performance outside Kerala was held at Chennai (1962) by his troop. He performed Koodiyattam all over India and popularized the same. He along with his troop did Koodiyattam performance in places like New Delhi, Varanasi, Ujjain, Bombay, Madras, Bhopal etc.
He choreographed and directed plays like Kalidasa's Abhijñānaśākuntala, Vikramorvaśīya and Mālavikāgnimitra ; Bhasa's Swapnavāsavadatta and Pancharātra for the first time in the history of Koodiyattam.
When his guru, His Highness Darsanakalanidhi Rama Varma Parikshith Thampuran wrote a new Sanskrit champu prabandha called Prahlādacharita and requested some senior artists to study and perform the same on the Chakyar Koothu stage, they said it was impossible for them to stage such a new prabandha. Then the guru asked Mani Madhava Chakyar, who was then a comparatively young artist, to try. He agreed and studied a part of the prabandha within one night and performed the same on the next day at Tripunithura - the then capital of Cochin state! The incident made great scholars to accept his mastery over both Sanskrit and the classical art form. After some months, he performed entire Prahlādacharita at the same stage.
It was he who performed Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam for All India Radio and Doordarshan for the first time, which helped to attract thousands of listeners to these traditional art forms. It was he who started 'demonstrations' in Kudiyattam to popularise the same.
When Kerala Kalamandalam (a school for the performing arts) was founded by Vallathol Narayana Menon, he invited the greatest Guru of Rasa-abhinaya, Mani Madhava Chakyar as the master trainer for Rasa-abhinaya to the Kathakali students. Later Kerala Kalamandalam, PSV Natyasangham- Kottakkal and Gandhi Seva Sadanam Kathakali Academy- Perur used his services as visiting professor of Rasa-abhinaya.
He has written an authoritative, award winning book ( in Malayalam ) on Koodiyattam called Nātyakalpadrumam (1975). This monumental work is being used as a reference by scholars and students. Natyakalpadrumam deals with all aspects of Koodiyattam in a scientific and critical manner. This book is also translated into Hindi. His biography, Mani Madhaveeyam ( Department of Cultural publications, Government of Kerala ) gives an excellent account of him and his lifelong devotion to the art form.
It was he who taught Koodiyattam for first time to a non-Chakyar - Nambiar caste member. It was a Polish student named Maria Christopher Byrski (Warsaw University),who was then a research student at Banaras Hindu University, came to study the only surviving ancient Sanskrit drama Koodiyattam, from its great Guru around early 1960s. He stayed at Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar's home and studied Koodiyattam in its traditional way. Dr.Farley Richmond (University of Georgia, USA), noted Sanskrit drama scholar also studied about the ancient Sanskrit art form under Mani Madhava Chakyar by staying at his home at Killikkurussimangalam.
Mani Madhava Chakyar died at the age of 91 on 14 January 1990.
[edit] See also
- Chakyar Koothu
- Koodiyattam
- Sanskrit Theatre
- Mani Damodara Chakyar
- Navarasa
- Rasa (art)
- Kathakali
- Mohiniyattam
- Thulall
[edit] External links
- Films ( of Sangeet Natak Academy ) featuring Mani Madhava Chakyar
- Kutiyattam - Sanskrit Theater of India (Multimedia CD) by Dr.Farley Richmond ( It contains a rare video collection of Netrabhinaya by the maestro Padma Shree Mani Madhava Chakyar)
- About the Golden Bracelet ( an honour given to the supreme scholar/artist ) that Mani Madhava Chakyar received from Sri Raja Rajeswara Temple of Taliparambu
- Natyakalpadrumam, Washington
- order Natyakalpadrumam
- Kathak maestro Birju Maharaj on top Indian dancers
- Data Bank on Traditional performances of Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi
