Mani Madhava Chakyar - Early Life and Education

Early Life and Education

Māni Mādhava Chākyār was born on 15 February 1899, in his ancestral home at Thiruvangayoor near Karayad, of Kozhikode district of Kerala. His father was Vishnu Śarma and mother was Savithri Illotamma. He belonged to the Māni family of Chakyars of North Kerala, who for centuries have been the custodians of Koodiyattam - the traditional Sanskrit theatre and Chakyar Koothu - another classical art form based on Sanskrit Champu Kavyas.

He trained in Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam in traditional way, under the direct guidance of his uncles who were great scholars and masters of these art forms. They were Guru Māni Parameswara Chakyar, Guru Māni Neelakandha Chakyar and Guru Māni Narayana Chakyar. He belonged to the "Mani" tradition of Koodiyattam and Chakyar Koothu which gives importance to both Rasa-abhinaya and Vachika-abhinaya.

He was a Sanskrit scholar of supreme rank. He used to give lectures in Sanskrit. He studied Alankarashastra, Nātyaśāstra, Vyakarana, Nyaya, Jyotisha, etc. in the traditional way, under great scholars such as Panditaratnam Pazhedathu Sankaran Nampoothiripad. He was the beloved student of one of the greatest Sanskrit scholars of all time His Highness Darsanakalanidhi Rama Varma Parikshith Thampuran (Maharaja of Cochin). He had his higher studies in Nyayashastra and Natya Shastra under him. Mani Madhava Chakyar taught Sanskrit at Balakollasini Sanskrita Pathasala of Killikkurussimangalam.

His first performance (Arangettam) of Koodiyattam was at the age of 14 at Trikkaikkunnu Temple of North Kottayam of Malabar. He used to perform the huge number of Atiyantara koothus of Mani family (the koothus which are assigned to the family from ancient times) in large number of temples stretching entire Malabar to Thrissur. It consist of all devotional ritualistic Koothus and Kudiyattams including Anguliyanka, Mattavilasa Prahasana, Mantranka, Ezhamanka ( seventh act of Ascharyachoodamani) about eight decades continuously in temples of Kerala. It includes ancient Kerala temples such as Matayikkavu Bhagavathi Temple of Kannoor, Taliparamba Rajarajeshwara Temple, Kottiyoor Perumal Temple, Lokanarkavu Temple of Vatakara, Thali (Tali) Siva Temple of Kozhikkode, Thirunavaya Navamukunda temple, Thiruvegappura Sree Mahadeva Temple, Pandamangalam Krishna temple of Kottakkal, Kotakkal Vishwambhara (Shiva) temple, Kallekkulagara Emoor Siva temple, Triprayar Sri Rama temple, Peruvanam Shiva temple of Cherpu, Avittathur Shiva Temple etc. Chakyar won high renown for the artistry of his performance in these temples, as well as in many others.

He married his uncle, Mani Parameshwara Chakyar's daughter, P.K Kunjimalu Nangiaramma, She was a great exponent in lady characters of Kudiyattams and Nangiǎr Kūthu and various Ragas and Shlokas used for the art form. She used to accompany him in the performances.