Mani Damodara Chakyar

🪔 About

Mani Damodara Chakyar (1946 – 2022) was a distinguished Kutiyattam and Chakyar Koothu artist from Kerala, South India. Born in Kozhikode in 1946, he belonged to the esteemed Mani Chakyar tradition, renowned for its contributions to these ancient Sanskrit theatre forms. He was the nephew and a dedicated disciple of the legendary guru Nātyāchārya Vidūshakaratnam Padma Shri Māni Mādhava Chākyār, under whose direct guidance he rigorously studied Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam for over 30 years, and for 25 years in the gurukula method. Chakyar was also an accomplished Sanskrit scholar, holding a Master's degree in Sanskrit literature and having studied Sanskrit and Nātyasāstra in the traditional manner. He served as a high school Sanskrit teacher in Kozhikode. His career as a performer was extensive, marked by numerous traditional devotional Koothus and Koodiyattams, including Anguliyanka, Mattavilasa Prahasana, Mantranka, and Ezhamanka. He excelled in portraying both Nayaka (hero) and Vidushaka (court jester) roles in Koodiyattams like Swapnavasavadattam, Naganandam, and Subhadradhananjayam. A significant milestone in his career was his performance as Vibhishana in Thoranayudham Koodiyattam in Madras in 1962, alongside his guru Mani Madhava Chakyar (who played Ravana), marking the first Koodiyattam performance outside Kerala. He also played the Nayaka role in Kalidasa's Mālavikāgnimitram and Vikramorvaśīya, which were choreographed and directed by his guru. Mani Damodara Chakyar was the first Koodiyattam student to receive a scholarship from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), New Delhi, and was later awarded both junior (1982) and senior (1989) fellowships by the Central Department of Culture. He was a regular speaker at Sanskrit conferences and published an interpretation of Ramayanam Prabandham in 2010. He passed away in early February 2022 at the age of 76. Awards & Honours: Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (2001), Kerala Kalamandalam V S Sharma endowment award (2007), Kalamandalam Award for Koodiyattam (2017), Junior Fellowship (1982), Senior Fellowship (1989).