Vazhenkada

Vazhenkada is a village, known for its Kathakali heritage, on the banks of the river Thootha in Malappuram district of Kerala in southern India. ^[1] The nearest small towns are Cherpulassery (in Palakkad district) to its south and Perintalmanna to its north, both eight kilometres away.

Vazhenkada's place on the cultural map owes largely to having been the native place of eminent Kathakali artiste, Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, a frontline disciple of the legendary Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon. Kunchu Nair's son, Vazhenkada Vijayan, is a Kathakali artiste of repute, having retired from Kerala Kalamandalam, where his father too had worked as a teacher for long. Another of Kunchu Nair's son, P.V. Sreevalsan, is a Kathakali aesthete and author of a Malayalam novel called Keshabharam.

Kunchu Nair lived close to the Narasimhamoorthy temple in Vazhenkada but there is no one living in his house now. It wears a dilapidated look.

Other famous Kathakali artistes hailing from Vazhenkada include Kalamandalam Balaraman and Kalamandalam Krishnadas (chenda), Kottakkal Devadas (actor-dancer) and Vazhenkada Anandan (Kathakali musician), besides the late Vazhenkada Govinda Warrier (Kathakali make-up), Vazhenkada Kunjunni Nair, Kalamandalam Rajagopal, Vazhenkada Krishna Warrier and Vazhenkada Rama Warrier.

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