Of all the states in the Indian sub-continent Kerala is perhaps the only one endowed with a spectacular heritage of performing,  ritual, folk and classical arts. The time - honoured values lie dormant in the living traditions of these performing arts. The feudal chieftains and provincial landlords who patronised these visual and devotional arts for centuries were not only encouraging them as entertainments but were also upholding their moral and ethical messages. Towards the fag end of the nineteenth century the traditional arts of Kerala happened to be on the verge of extinction. The social, political and cultural factors which contributed to the downfall of the art forms are many and varied. This was but an ephemeral phenomenon. The dawn of the twentieth century witnessed a cultural renaissance all over India. In Kerala among those who spearheaded the cultural renaissance poet Vallathol Narayana Menon is an immortal name. Besides being an outstanding poet and scholar, Vallathol was a passionate lover of Kathakali and other similar classical dance-theatre traditions of Kerala. Against all odds he took up the task of saving Kathakali and other stylised art-forms from the eclipse.

Kakkad Karanavappad, an eminent scholar and Manakkulam Mukundaraja a devoted cultural -activist were an unending source of inspiration to Vallathol in the establishment of KERALA KALAMANDALAM along the banks of the river Bharathapuzha in Cheruthuruthy, a small village in the northern edge of Thrissur District. It was in 1930.

The birth of Kalamandalam was remarkable in many respects.It was the first step in the cultural history of Kerala to start training in classical performing arts which were so far left to the patronage of provincial kings and landlords. The artists especially the Kathakali artists were more or less the aesthetic victims of the society.  They were silent sufferers of caste heirarchy.  With the establishment of Kalamandalam the social and cultural emancipation of traditional artists became a reality. At the same time Kathakali and Mohiniyattam, the two major art-forms heading to extinction for want of patronage ensured their existence and progress under the newly evolved institutional set-up.  The poet spared no attempts to see that Kathakali the  classical dance-theatre and Mohiniyattam, the classical female dance of Kerala flourished in the fertile land of Kalamandalam. He invited titans in the field to the campus. They lived in Kalamandalam, performed off and on in its yard and taught talented students for years and years. Late Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon the doyen of the North School of Kathakali headed the Faculty of Kathakali at Kalamandalam for about one and a half decades.  He groomed great artists like Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair, Ramankutty Nair and Padmanabhan Nair who later became the principal teachers of this world renowned institution.  For training in Mohiniyattam there were the surviving maestros Korattikkara Krishna Panickar, Madhavi Amma, Kalyani Amma and Chinnammu Amma. Their disciples Kalamandalam Kalyanikutty Amma and Kalamandalam Sathyabhama developed the aesthetics of Mohiniyattam and earned for it world-wide recognition. Their distinguished disciples are now the cream of today's Mohiniyattam dancers.

The Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Kalamandalam were an unforgettable event in its history. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India inaugrated the jubilee celebrations in 1955. Nehru commended the contributions of Poet Vallathol to Indian arts and culture and donated Rs. One lakh to Kalamandalam for its developmental activities. The affection between the statesman and the poet grew. Vallathol visited China and Russia as India's cultural ambassador. Govt. of India awarded Padmabhooshan to the Poet in recognition of his services to art and literature.

In 1965 Kalamandalam added Koodiyattam to its curriculum.  Koodiyattam is the only extant stylised Sanskrit theatre having a tradition of two thousand years.  Painkulam Rama Chakyar who headed the Koodiyattam department was a maverick.  Rama Chakyar boldly brought Koothu and Koodiyattam outside the temples in the late fiftees.  He thus incurred the wrath of the caste-conscious conservatives in the field. Chakyar but did not compromise.He liberated these esoteric art forms from the dark cells of taboos and inhibitions.  From 1965 Koodiyattam, Nangiarkoothu, the 'Nirvahana' of its female characters and Koothu were made available for study to aspirants all over the world. Kalamandalam has produced a handful of gifted artists in the field.

Other performing arts taught at and performed by Kalamandalam are Thullal a semi classical solo dance-drama, Panchavadyam, an orchestra, Mridangam, a musical accompaniment to dance, classical music recitals and Karnatic Music .In our Dance Faculty the optional subject is Mohiniyattam.Bharatanatyam and Kuchupudi are subsidiary subjects.

In 1980 the then Prime Minister of India Smt. Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Golden Jubilee of Kalamandalam.  Celebrations included dance-recitals, music-concerts, Kathakali, Koodiyattam, Symposiums and Lecture Demonstrations. The Diamond Jubilee was inaugrated in 1990 by the then Prime Minister Shri.V.P. Singh. The presence of stalwarts in the field of dance, music, theatre, poetry and literature made the jubilee the greatest event in the history of Kalamandalam. Pandit Ravi Sankar, Dr. L. Subramaniam, Ustad Allaragha, Pandit Brij Maharaj, Sonal Mansigh, Dr. Padma Subramaniam, Malavika Sarukai, Dr. T.N. Krishnan, Dr.N.Rajam, M.S. Gopalakrishnan, Umayalpuram Sivaraman, Karaikudy Mani, Mandolin Srinivasan and equally distinguished artists performed in Kalalmandalam. For most of them it was the fulfilment of a dream.  This temple of arts kindled their spirits.

Test from Kalamandalam's Offical Page. This is only for a general information. You may visit Kalramandalamfor more details and their activities.