Chavittunatakam

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Chavittunatakam, also spelt as Cavittunatakam, (Malayalam ചവിട്ടുനാടകം) is a form of music drama performed in parts of Kerala, especially in the coastal region lying to the south of Chavakkad near Kodungalloor to the town of Kollam (Old name: Quilon)^[1]. Cast is all-male, and themes are biblical or drawn from from Christian religious history. This form of theater, a synthesis of Indian dance movements, Western operatic style of presentation, and Christian themes, is believed to have been evolved in the 16th and 17th centuries, that is, after the arrival of the Portuguese in the Malabar coast. The librettos were written in a dialect that was predominantly Tamil. Though the dance form flourished in the late 19th and early 20th century, towards the middle of the last century, due to heavy demand, both on time and money,^[2] this genre almost became extinct. Recently some efforts are afoot^[3]to revive this theater form.

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[edit] External Links

• Chavittunatakam: Dance Drama from Kerala
• Traditional Performing Arts: Aymanom Krishna Kaimal from Essays on the Cultural Formation of Kerala Edited by P.J. Cheriyan