Mani Madhava Chakyar Biography 
Mani Madhava Chakyar was the greatest of all performing artists of Kerala traditional art forms. He was one of the most felicitated artists from Kerala and was the first recipient of all major awards for Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam. He is known as "the Emperor of Rasa-Abhinaya" and his netrabhinaya is world famous. He is one among those gifted artists born in Kerala who is proficient in expressing each Bhava with eyes only. He was considered as the authority of Abhinaya and Natyasastra. He was well versed in all the traditional Koodiyattams and all the prabandhas used in Chakyar Koothu and he was active in performing arts on stage till he died at the age of 90. Kerala’s traditional art forms and its artists pay a lot of due respect to this greatest performing artist of 20th century.
His work – Natyakalpadrumam is an invaluable work on Kerala’s traditional art form, Koodiyattam. He was a Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi and has received titles like Vidushakaratnam and Natyacharya. He has also received prestigious Awards like Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. He was a Sanskrit scholar of supreme rank who used to give Sanskrit lectures.
Mani Madhava Chakyar was born on 15 February 1899 at Thiruvangayoor of Kozhikode as the son of Vishnu Sharma and Savithri Illotamma. He belonged to Mani family of Chakyars of North Kerala who perform Chakyarkoothu and Koodiyattam traditionally for years. He too trained in Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam in traditional way, under the direct guidance of his uncles who were proficient in these art forms. He studied Alankarashastra, Natyashastra, Vyakarana, Nyaya and Jyotisham (astrology) in the traditional way. His Arangettam (first stage performance) of Koodiyattam was at the age of 14 at Trikkaikkunnu Temple, Kottayam. He married P.K Kunjimalu Nangiaramma who was an exponent in Koodiyattam. She was the daughter of his uncle, Mani Parameshwara Chakyar.
Mani Madhava Chakyar conducted a deep study of Natya sastra and compared with art styles of Kerala and explained the concepts, methods and practices of Koodiyattam and Chakyar Koothu in a clear and authentic way. His book on Koodiyattam, Natyakalpadrumam (1975) won many awards. In 1964, he received Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (New Delhi). It was the first national recognition for a Koodiyattam/Chakyar Koothu artist. He received its fellowship in the year 1982. Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar died at the age of 91 on 14 January 1990 at Ottapalam. His body was cremated with full honours at his Killikkurussimangalam residence. His birth and death anniversaries are celebrated by various cultural programmes.
Published: N/A
Updated: September 11, 2013
