S.Anandan
PHOTO: THULASI KAKKAT
Recognition:Mudiyettu artiste Keezhillam Unnikrishnan at his residence.
Kochi: Mudiyettu, which was recognised by UNESCO on Tuesday as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, is a ritualistic folk theatre that originated from the Bhadrakali cult in erstwhile central Travancore. Epigraphists say it predates Kathakali, tracing its evolution as an art to the medieval period, maybe to the 9th or 10th century AD.
Traditionally, it is performed in an open space by the Kurup and the Marar communities in the precincts of a Kali temple as an offering to ward off pestilences. An elaborate enactment of the battle between Goddess Bhadrakali and Darika, a demon who threatens to conquer the universe, it depicts the triumph of good over evil.
“A typical ritualistic Mudiyettu dance drama begins with ‘Kalamezhuthu' —pictorial drawing using organic colours of a Kali in sustained rage after killing the demon — which in itself is an elaborate art. With the erasing of the ‘kalam' begins the drama. ‘Kalamezhuthu' is, in fact, a flashback device, giving us a glimpse of the story,” says Keezhillam Unnikrishnan, Mudiyettu performer and researcher and scion of one of the four families — hailing from Koratty (near Angamaly), Keezhillam (near Perumbavoor), Pazhoor (near Piravom) and Kunnakal (near Muvattupuzha) —traditionally performing the ritual art.
Textual variants born out of local influence notwithstanding, the drama part of Mudiyettu begins with the discourse between Lord Shiva and Narada followed by the entry of Darika; Kali; Koimbata Nair, a character bearing resemblance to the Sanskrit “Sutradhar” (narrator); and Kooli, who provides comic relief; and the enactment of the battle between the goddess, assisted by Kooli, and the demon, with assistance from Danavan. With the conceptual decapitation of the demon, the performance comes to an end and Kali showers her blessings on the populace, especially infants. “The person donning the sanctified headgear of Kali is believed to be goddess-incarnate, distinctive of Kerala's temple arts. The enactment, full with coconut palm leaf festoons and carried out in front of a traditional oil lamp, is done in the background of Dame Nature,” says C.R. Rajagopal, folklorist. Performed with musical accompaniment, primarily on the chenda and the elathalam (cymbal), besides vocal accompaniment in the “Sopana Sangeetham” style, an electric atmosphere is drummed up as the dance drama progresses. There is dialogue, in a mix of Tamil and Malayalam, for the characters as well. “It is also participatory in nature. As the goddess sets out for the battle, the onlookers naturally transform into her ‘bhootha ganams' [troops]. Similarly, when Darika gets on a rampage, they turn into his hapless subjects. Thus, the performance achieves dual dimensions, resulting in the intertwining of the real and the dramatic,” explains Varanattu Narayana Kurup, a veteran performer from the Kizhakke Varanattu Mudiyettu Sangham.
M.R. Raghava Warrier, epigraphist, says the growth of Mudiyettu is inextricably linked to the evolution of Kerala's social and cultural fabric. Regional differences in performance and attire are evident. For instance, while Kali in the Koratty style has a bare torso, covered only by a breast-shaped plank, there is an upper body dress for Kali in the Keezhillam and the Pazhoor styles. Similarly, Darika's mudi (crown) in the Koratty style looks similar to the Kathakali crown; even the face-paint of Darika bears remarkable resemblance to that of Ravana and Duryodhana — “Kathi Veshas” — in Kathakali. “Only organic materials are used for Mudiyettu and given its ritualistic significance, even when we perform it outside, at tourism festivals for instance, we only use fresh clothes. But that is hard labour, considering we require 32 specially washed dhotis besides numerous other instruments for a performance. But then, we still do it with reverence,” says Pazhoor Muralieedhara Marar, playing Kali for over three decades.
No comments:
Post a Comment