The Santiniketan of
the South
The poet Vallathol
Narayana Menon met Rabindranath Tagore in Santiniketan, West
Bengal. Santiniketan thrived under Tagore’s vision as an open air,
liberal centre for learning arts adopting the traditional Guru-Shishya template
of ancient India.
Vallathol returned to his native Kerala determined to create a similar
confluence of cultural education. In 1930, with the support of his associate
Manakkulam Mudhunta Raja, his creation Kerala Kalamandalam rose on the banks of
the river Nila in the village
of Cheruthuruthy, 32 km
north of Thrissur town.
Today, Vallathol’s
dream is a top-notch deemed University offering residency courses in the classical
performing arts.
Training is
imparted in
Kuttuyatam
Mohiniyattam
Kathakali including
Kalari Regular and Thekkan
Kathakali
percussion – Chenda and Maddalam
Panchavadyam (5
percussion and wind instruments).
Thullal
Gallery of the
Performing Arts
Fiber Statues of
Kathakali characters and other arts, mural paintings are showcased. There’s a
costume room with the paraphernalia of performances from head gears to wooden
weapons to costumes to masks
Museum
The Vallathol Museum is a tribute to the poet’s
stellar body of work
A Window into
Kalamandalam
Conducted tours
around the Kalamandalam are organised in a programme called “A Day with the Masters”
that gives direct exposure to the Gurus in the various disciplines
Visitors can watch the training sessions
4:30 am to 6:30 am
8:30 am to 12 noon
3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Please check
timings before visits
Closed on weekends
and public holidays
For joining the
Conducted Tours contact 04884-262305 or the email below
There are variety
programmes for special occasions. Performances take
place at the Koothambalam (Temple
theatre) whose granite pillars are carved with 108 dance poses of the ancient
treatise on drama, the Natyashastra
Kerala Kalamandalam
Deemed University
for Art & Culture
Cheruthuruthy – 679
531 via Thrissur, Kerala
Call - +91 4884
262418, 262562
Email –
info@kalamandalam.org
Reaching Kerala
Kalamandalam
Closest is Kochi is 110 km
85 km from the
international Nedumbassery airport taking the National Highway 47 Ernakulam (Kochi) to Thrissur route
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