https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Keeleri_KunhikannanKeeleri Kunhikannan - Revision history2026-08-01T03:05:36ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Keeleri_Kunhikannan&diff=228151&oldid=prev->Gotitbro at 01:06, 19 May 20212021-05-19T01:06:00Z<p></p>
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{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Keeleri Kunjikannan<br />
| image = Keeleri_Kunhikannan_Portrait_(B%26W).jpg<br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --><br />
| birth_date = {{Birth year|1858}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Thalassery]], [[Kerala]], India<br />
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1939|||1858||}}<br />
| death_place = <br />
| nationality = <br />
| other_names = <br />
| occupation = {{hlist|Martial arts trainer|Gymnast}}<br />
| years_active = <br />
| known_for = Indian circus<br />
| notable_works = <br />
}}<br />
'''Keeleri Kunjikannan''' (1858–1939) was an Indian [[martial arts]] trainer and gymnast. He was one of the earliest circus owners in India.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.aum9.com/Indian_Circus.html |title=The Legends Of Indian Circus |work=aum9.com |accessdate=11 May 2011}}</ref><ref>[https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/big-top-s-top-four/story-MRr2K8fa9N1SQeq3SWFv9J.html Big Top's Top Four]. ''[[Hindustan Times]]''.</ref><br />
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==Life==<br />
Kunhikannan was born in [[Thalassery]] in 1858.<ref>{{cite book|last=[[A. Sreedhara Menon]]|title=A Survey of Kerala History|pages=436}}</ref> He was the gymnastic instructor of BEMP school, [[Thalassery]]. His fascination with circus started with the visit to ''[[Great Indian Circus]]'' in 1888. He started giving Circus training at a ''[[Kalari]]'' in Pulambil so that the trainees could work with the ''Great Indian Circus''.<br />
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In 1901 he started a circus school in Chirakkara, the first of its kind in [[Kerala]] and the second in [[India]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.knr.kerala.gov.in/sportsgames.htm |title=Official Website of Kannur |access-date=24 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002193644/http://www.knr.kerala.gov.in/sportsgames.htm |archive-date=2 October 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Kerala's first circus company was ''Malabar Grand Circus'', founded at Chirakkara in 1904 by Pariyali Kannan, one of Kunhikannan's students. Other circus companies founded by his students include ''Whiteway Circus'', ''Fairy Circus'', ''Great Rayman Circus'', ''Eastern Circus'', ''Oriental Circus'', ''Kamala Three Ring Circus'', ''Gemini Circus'', ''Great Bombay Circus'' and ''Great Lion Circus''.<ref name="Hindu">{{cite news| url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/16/stories/2008091654540500.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919110532/http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/16/stories/2008091654540500.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=19 September 2008 | location=Chennai, India | work=[[The Hindu]] | title=Boost to circus industry | date=16 September 2008}}</ref><br />
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Kunhikannan died in 1939. Two years later his disciple M. K. Raman founded the ''Keeleri Kunhikannan Teacher Memorial Circus and Gymnastic Training Centre'' at Chirakkara which functions even today. In 2008 The [[Kerala government]] announced that a circus academy would be set up in Thalasseri in his memory.<ref name="Hindu"/><br />
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== See also ==<br />
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* [[History of Indian circus]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunhikannan, Keeleri}}<br />
[[Category:Indian male martial artists]]<br />
[[Category:Indian circus performers]]<br />
[[Category:1939 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:1858 births]]<br />
[[Category:People from Thalassery]]<br />
[[Category:Businesspeople from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:19th-century Indian people]]<br />
[[Category:Martial artists from Kerala]]<br />
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