A poet's Kathakali school on the Bharathapuzha became Kerala's deemed university for the arts

Background

Kerala's classical performing arts have one public institution at their centre, standing on the banks of the Bharathapuzha.
Kerala Kalamandalam was founded in 1930 by the poet Vallathol Narayana Menon and his close associate Manakkulam Mukundaraja, under the patronage of Kakkad Karanavappad.
At the beginning it was exclusively a training centre for Kathakali, and its first venue was Madappattil, a residence at Kunnamkulam near Thrissur.
In 1936, Kalamandalam was relocated to its own plot and building on the banks of the river Bharathapuzha in Cheruthuruthy village of Thrissur District.
It is a residential institution imparting training in disciplines such as Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Thullal, Kutiyattam, Panchavadyam, Carnatic Music and Mridangam.
The training adheres to the ancient Gurukula Sampradaya, the traditional mode of education that emphasizes a deep bond between the teacher and the student.
In 1975 Kalamandalam began functioning as a grant-in-aid educational institution, and in 1990 formal schooling beginning with the 8th grade was introduced.
It now functions as a Deemed to be University for Art & Culture.