Koothu Dance- Kerala

Koothu dance is one of the oldest performing arts of Kerala. It was traditionally performed by Chakyar community in Kerala. It is mainly performed in temples and the audience was mostly restricted to the upper class Hindus. Chakyar Koothu dance is a kind of mono act and is equivalent to modern days stand up comic act. The dancers get ample facilities for criticizing men and things of local interest. It is mainly performed by the male members of the community. The dancers narrate tales from epics based on the Sanskrit texts and interpret them in Malyalam. Only two instruments accompany the performance - a mizhav and a pair of cymbals.

Part of Koothu Dance, which is performed only by the ‘Nangiars’or the female members of the Chakyar community, is called Nangiar Koothu. This is a solo dance drama, with the plots being centered mainly on the legends of Lord Krishna. Verses are sung and enacted through mime and dance, to the accompanying the percussion instrument ‘mizhavu’, played by the Nambiar – the male members of the community, and the ‘kuzhithalam’(cymbals) - played by the Nangiar.

Nangiar Koothu Dance is still performed in some temples in Kerala like the Vadakkunnatha Temple at Thrissur, Sri Krishna Temple at Ambalappuzha, Koodal Manickyam Temple at Irinjalakkuda and Kumaranalloor temple at Kottayam. Chakyar Koothu was performed only in Koothambalams of Hindu temples, it was visionary Guru Natyacharya Vidushakaratnam Padma Shree Mani Madhava Chakyar who was a renowned Koothu and Kudiyattam artist brought Koothu and Kudiyattam outside temples by performing it outside for common people. He is considered as the greatest Koothu and Kutiyattam artist of modern times.