Keeleri Kunhikannan

Keeleri Kunhikannan

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Keeleri Kunhikannan Profile

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Keeleri Kunhikannan Biography

Keeleri Kunhikannan was a martial arts trainer and Gymnast from Keeleri, best known as the father of Kerala Circus. Along with prominent names of the field such as Gemini Shankaran, Chandran Kodiyeri, Savithri and Sreedharan Champaad, Keeleri Kunhikannan also holds a prominent space among Circus artists from Kerala. He staged Kerala’s first professional circus, which later came to be known as Pariyali’s Malabar Grand Circus. He also started a circus school at Chirakkara in 1901, the first one of this kind, where he trained artists in circus and martial arts. He gave preference to martial arts in his circus shows, and also included animals as artists.

 

Kunhikannan was born in Thalassery in 1858. He trained martial arts from Ramunni Gurukkal, the disciple of Kelukutti Kurup from Kovilkandi, and worked as the gymnastic instructor of BEMP school, Thalassery. In 1888, he happened to watch Great Indian Circus held in Chennai, and got fascinated with this art. He could draw the similarities between circus and martial arts easily, and very soon started circus training to students along with his martial arts classes. He also watched Chhatros circus held in Thalassery, and had a discussion with its authorities. Many ideas were already born in hismind.

 

In 1901 he started a circus school in Chirakkara. It was only the second circus school in India, and hence Keeleri Kunhikannan is one of the earliest Indian artists of this field. His troupe gave its first public performance at a paddy field in Chirakkara in 1904. Later they christened their troupe as Pariyali’s Malabar Grand Circus. Slowly his circus troupe grew and included animal artists. A lady artist was also a part of his troupe since its first show. Kunhikannan died in 1939 and later his legacy was followed by his disciples, mainly Pariyali Kannan who started Malabar Grand Circus.

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Updated: December 08, 2017

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