P.K. Narayanan Nambiar

🪔 About

P.K. Narayanan Nambiar (May 26, 1927 – November 15, 2023) was a revered Indian classical musician, scholar, and performer, primarily celebrated for his virtuosity in Mizhavu, the principal percussion instrument in Koodiyattam, an ancient Sanskrit theatre tradition from Kerala recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Born in Killikurissimangalam, Palakkad, Kerala, he was the eldest son of the legendary Koodiyattam artist Mani Madhava Chakyar and Kochampilli Kunjimalu Nangiaramma, a known Nangiarkoothu artist. Nambiar received his early schooling in the gurukula system under the tutelage of his father and later continued his Koodiyattam training with gurus like Kochampilli Raman Nambiar and Meledath Govindan Nambiar, mastering the art of playing Mizhavu. His debut as a Mizhavu artist was at the Kottakkal Kovilakam Siva temple in Malappuram in 1948, at the age of 21. A significant milestone in his career was in 1954 when he became the first person outside the Chakyar caste to perform as an actor in Koodiyattam, playing Arjuna in "Subhadra Dhananjayam" at the Lakkidi Kunjan Memorial Library, marking the first time Koodiyattam was performed outside temple walls. In 1965, he joined Kerala Kalamandalam as the Guru of Mizhavu, where he served until his retirement in 1988, heading the Mizhavu faculty and evolving a systematic training scheme for the instrument. He developed a unique form of jugalbandi called "Mizhavu Thayambaka," a solo recital expanding the instrument's rhythmic patterns beyond traditional talas, and was instrumental in reviving Nangiar Koothu, the female aspect of Koodiyattam. Nambiar's contributions extended to literature, authoring several "Attaprakarams" (stage manuals) for Koodiyattam, including "Sreekrishna Charitam Nangiaramma Koothu" (1984) and "Mantrankam" (1980), which documented and revived near-extinct performance techniques. He also traced out 25 unknown Sanskrit manuscripts and initiated a new dance form called Hallisakam. He ran a school of arts, Padmashri Madhava Chakyar Gurukulam, considered a seat of learning for Koodiyattam. For his profound services to the art, he was honored with numerous accolades, including the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2008, the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in 1993, and the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. Awards & Honours: Padmashri (2008), Fellowship, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award (1993), Nritha Natya Puraskaram, Central Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kalarathnam Award (2013).