https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Chavara_Parukutty_AmmaChavara Parukutty Amma - Revision history2026-07-31T13:40:42ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Chavara_Parukutty_Amma&diff=111871&oldid=prev>Dl2000 at 04:19, 7 September 20192019-09-07T04:19:13Z<p></p>
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{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Chavara Parukutty Amma<br />
| image = Chavara_parukutty_A1.JPG<br />
| imagesize = 250px<br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = Chavara Parukutty Amma demonstrating a Kathakali mudra, 2011.<br />
| birth_name = <br />
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1943|02|12}}<br />
| birth_place = Chekkatu Kizhakkethil, Kerala, India<br />
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2019|02|07|1943|02|12}}<br />
| death_place = [[Chavara]], Kerala<br />
| nationality = [[India]]n<br />
| occupation = [[Kathakali]] dancer and teacher<br />
| years active = <br />
| parents = N. Shankaran Achary <br> Naniyamma <br />
| training = <br />
| movement = <br />
| works = Kacha Devayani<br />
| influenced by = <br />
| influenced = <br />
| awards = Kerala Kalamandalam Kalaratnam<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kalamandalam-fellowship-awards-announced/article5285813.ece|title=Kalamandalam fellowship, awards announced|date=30 October 2013|accessdate=17 February 2019}}</ref><br />
| elected =<br />
| website = <br />
}}<br />
'''Chavara Parukutty Amma''' (12 February 1943 – 7 February 2019) was an Indian artiste of the [[Kathakali]] dance drama. She was one of the few women exponents of this overwhelmingly male tradition. For her services to the art of [[Kerala]], she was honoured with the [[Kerala Kalamandalam]] and the [[Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi]] awards.<br />
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==Life==<br />
Chavara Parukutty Amma was born to Naniyamma and N. Shankaran Achary, a goldsmith, at Chekkatu Kizhakkethil in [[Kerala]], the youngest of their three children.<ref name=nayar>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/the-curtain-falls/article26277385.ece|title=The curtain falls|author=V.R. Prabodhachandran Nayar|date=15 February 2019|accessdate=17 February 2019}}</ref> She obtained an undergraduate degree in Economics from the [[Fatima Mata National College]].<ref name=nie20190208>{{cite news|newspaper=The New Indian Express|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2019/feb/08/kathakali-artist-chavara-parukutty-passes-away-1935886.html|title=Kathakali artist Chavara Parukutty passes away|date=8 February 2019|accessdate=17 February 2019}}</ref><br />
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Trained as a classical dancer, she switched to Kathakali in her teenage years. Her first teacher was Muthupilakkadu Gopala Panikker.<ref name=nm>{{cite news|newspaper=The News Minute|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/noted-kathakali-artiste-chavara-parukutty-amma-passes-away-76-96393|title=Noted Kathakali artiste Chavara Parukutty Amma passes away at 76|accessdate=17 February 2019|date=8 February 2019}}</ref><br />
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Parukutty Amma had a daughter, Dhanya, who is also a dance artiste.<ref name=nayar/><br />
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She died at [[Chavara]] near [[Kollam]] on 7 February 2019.<ref name=nm/><br />
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==Career==<br />
Parukutty Amma's debut performance was at the age of 14, at the [[Kottankulangara Devi Temple]] at [[Chavara]].<ref name=nayar/> At the time, women were hesitant in taking up the genre. The field of Kathakali has traditionally been dominated by men, who would play both male and female roles. She took on female roles mainly, but has portrayed male roles as well.<ref name=nie20190208/><br />
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In her youth, Kathakali was of interest mainly to women of upper castes, who took a dilettante's approach to it. As the daughter of a goldsmith, Parukutty had to struggle for admission to a local dance school, ''Leelamani Nrithakalalayam''. She was relegated to minor roles, and even when she began to perform major parts in the dance drama, having joined the ''Poruvazhi Sreekrishnavilasm Kaliyogam'', her name would barely appear in festival brochures.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kathakali-loses-a-path-breaker/article26219339.ece|title=Kathakali loses a path-breaker|date=9 February 2019|accessdate=17 February 2019|author=Navamy Sudhish}}</ref><br />
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Parukutty Amma was fortunate in obtaining admission to a Kathakali institute; without credentials from the academy, other women were severely disadvantaged. Even she faced unfortunate odds in her career, scarcely being able to make a living from it.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/theatre/on-women-artistes-in-kathakali/article19313819.ece|title=The woman’s role in Kathakali|author=Haripriya Nambudiri|date=20 July 2017|accessdate=17 February 2019}}</ref><br />
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Parukutty Amma's debut was with the dance drama ''Poothanamoksham'' in 1958, in the role of Lalita, the benevolent manifestation of the demoness Poothana who was sent by [[Kamsa]] to kill the baby [[Krishna]]. She then began training herself in male roles under Poruvazhi Gopala Pillai, the first presentation being of [[Bhima]] in ''Kalyanasaugandhikam''.<ref name=manorama>{{cite news|newspaper=Manorama|url=https://english.manoramaonline.com/lifestyle/news/2019/02/08/chavara-parukutty-mother-of-unfolding-revolution-kathakali.html|title=Chavara Parukutty: Mother of an unfolding revolution in Kathakali|author=Sreevalsan Thiyyadi|date=9 February 2019|accessdate=17 February 2019}}</ref> <br />
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Mankulam Vishnu Namboothiri, a Kathakali doyen, saw her performance and undertook her further training in every female role in Kathakali. Her essaying of the role of [[Devayani]] was particularly lauded for her command of nuance and emotion, as Devayani first beholds [[Kacha (sage)|Kacha]]. Indeed, she often played the male role of Kacha as well.<ref name=nayar/><br />
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In 2003, Parukutty Amma opened ''Kerala Natya Dhara'', a school for dance at Sankaramangalam.<ref name=nm/><br />
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Parukutty Amma received the Kerala Kalamandalam and the Mathrubhumi Grihalakshmi awards.<ref name=nm/><br />
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A film on her life and achievements, ''Chavara Parukutty: Kathakaliyile Sthree Parvam'', was produced by P.R. Sreekumar.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/aranmula-in-focus/article6912765.ece|title=Aranmula in focus|author=Athira M.|date=19 February 2015|accessdate=17 February 2019}}</ref><br />
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==Selected reading==<br />
* {{cite news|newspaper=The Hindu|author=Shwetha E. George|title=They dance despite the disparity|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/dance/They-dance-despite-the-disparity/article13368567.ece|date=17 January 2012}}<br />
* {{cite book|title=Kaliyammamar|author=P. Geetha|publisher=Rainbow Books|year=2011}}<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Parukutty Amma, Chavara}}<br />
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<!--- Categories ---><br />
[[Category:1943 births]]<br />
[[Category:2019 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Dancers from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian dancers]]<br />
[[Category:Kathakali exponents]]<br />
[[Category:Malayali people]]</div>>Dl2000