Koodiyaattam
 
The art form Koodiyaattam is the forerunner of the dramatic arts of Kerala. The term Koodiyaattam signifies ‘Joint action’ by Chaakkyaars and Nangyaars propounding exclusively Sanskrit dramas. Literally, the name means ’composite dancing’. It is a composition of dramatics, abhinaya and dancing. It is perhaps the oldest dance-drama in existence in India.  
 
 
 
Koodiyaattam is presented by members of the Chaakkyaar community. The word Chaakkyaar is formed from slaaghyavaakkukaar or slaaghayir giving stress to all the six qualities for good speech in them. The Chaakkyaar community preserved acting as their family duty and acquired for themselves an important position in the cultural history of Kerala. Tradition holds that there were 18 Chaakkyaar families of which 14 have been identified, among them only eight families existed now.
Koodiyaattam is presented as a votive offering in Koothambalams, special theatres put up inside the precincts of temples. The perfomance is based on Sanskrit texts. A single act of Koodiyaattam play may be staged for 10 to 15 days, each day for two or three hours. The Malabari has a small story for Koodiyaattam. It offers a peg on which the entire technique of a perfomance hangs. An interesting one-act story is woven round Arjuna, the hero of the Mahaabhaarata. It is from the Sanskrit drama ‘Subhadra Dhananjayam’ wherein Arjuna wooes Subhadra. The act begins with return of Arjuna after wooing the famous bow called Gandiiva when he is told of the exquisite beauty of Subhadra. He falls in love with her and sets out to search her. He is assisted in this by his friend and companion Kunndinya, the court jester. On the way they meet a bhoot flying away with the ballet. Arjuna bends his bow to shoot down the bhoot who drops her and flies from safety. She literally falls into Arjuna’s arms. He fails to identify her but falls in love all the same. Suddenly she disappears. Arjuna sits to search for her in Dwaarka where if she would not be found he might meet Subhadra. Such a small story may take eleven nights. It reveals its high evolved art of great artistic and dramatic potentialities. Koodiyaattam plays deal with varied situations-humorous, satirical, especially on social and official life, moralistic for the youth; serious thoughts on the life’s purpose and ribaldrous attack on sexual propensities of man. They have educative value: a whole audience responds to the theme.
The role of Vidooshaka and Chaakkyaar
In early days, a seven-act Koodiyaattam play generally took a couple of months, each act taking between 8-9 days. It is preceded by a four-day precatory actions which are confined to staapana and nirvacana. On the third day commences the purushartha in which Vidooshaka is the sole character. It’s scene is drawn from the village of illiteracy headed by a priest who is innocent of all knowledge of mantra, tantra and vidya. Discussion amongst the villagers is given in the form of a discourse high in dramatic qualities. The Vidooshaka, who is normally a man of extraordinary skill, mimes several characters and makes the atmosphere for the play absorbingly interesting. Beyond this he does not have any role, because what he relates has no relation with the theme of the drama.
 
The Chaakkyaar presents in this introductory part all the essentials of the play called in Sanskrit Purushaartha, of life. It is entrenched round the social hypocrisy in four main divisions- vinoda, vancana, aasana and raajaseva. Vinoda is enjoyment of pleasures and may extend from minor to major actions of pleasures; vancana includes deception in all its minor and sublte shades, besides self-deception; aasana signifies satisfaction of the palate; and raajaseva is the service under the crown. It is on the completion of the fourth category of Purshaartha that the conversation in the story cleverly leads to the emergence of the first scene of the drama to be enacted. The Chaakkyaar applies all the wits, humors and sarcasms in his discourses. Like the consummate cartoonist, who drives from his thoughts through the lines, Chaakkyaar raises humour and the hidden meaning. Whereas Purushaartha unfolds social hypocracy on the one side, it indirectly asks for certain morals. The Chaakkyaar therefore, recognise no law in enacting this piece. Everyone, from the commoner to the king, comes under his fire. By a sacred convention for enacting this, the Chaakkyaar enjoys complete immunity, for whatever he says it in Deva sabhas and in Brahmana sabha. His observations go on uninterruptedly, and if anyone interrupts in any way, he will remove his headgear and walk off the stage. The votive offering of koothu thus comes to sudden end, indicating sacrilege and profanation of a sacred right. Such a defiled koothu requires expiatory ceremonies for its revival. In the case of Prabandham koothu of the Chaakkyaars, this introductory piece is also enacted.
The Vidooshaka translates the Sanskrit text of the play in Malayalam, so that the people may in general, understand the story. Koodiyaattam is almost free of music. The verses are chanted. To create a supernatural atmosphere with it, the chanting is in monotone. The Chaakkyaars have in it abhinaya as their main foret. They employ aangikaabhinya ‘gestural action’, vaacikabhinaya ‘narration of words in a speech’ and again aangikabhinaya.
Koothambalam
Koodiyaattam is performed in the temple theatre called Koothambalam, a well constructed wooden structure. Its raised dais is covered by a wooden pavilion, the ceiling of which is richly carved and painted with floral and other decorative motifs. The pavilion stands on four lacquered pillars and surmounted by amalaka capitals. Behind the dais, a green room enclosure is provided with a door in the partition wall through which the actors can come in or go out; the dais is open on the other three sides.
 
At the time of perfomance, the Koothambalam is decorated with fruit bearing plantains, bunches of tender coconuts and festooned with the fronds of coconut palm. A vessel filled with paddy is placed alongside a lit nilavilakku on the stage. In a railed enclosure on the stage, a drummer, a member of the Nambiyaar community, will sit near a large copper drum called mizhaavu. A woman of the Nangiyaar caste plays elathaalam and occasionally recites the verses.
Performance of Koodiyaattam
At first, the drum is sounded and the Nangiyaar woman recites the invocatory verse, vandana slokam. After that the purificatory ceremony is done by the Nambiyar. Then follows an interlude of orchestra, Koothupurappadu, Nirvachana purushaartha etc. In the perfomance all the four types of Abhinaya - Aangikam, Vaachikam, Saathvikam and Aaharyam are fully utilised. Full emotional effects are brought about by a synthesis of rhythmic steps, elegant gestures and meaningful facial expressions. Instruments like edakka, maddalam, conch, pipe and horn are used at the time of perfomance.
Costume of Koodiyaattam
To a good extent Koodiyaattam costume resembles that of Kathakali. It is traditional. Standard stylised representations of the role-types have come to stay. Arjuna, for instance, is dressed with a crown, kingly ornaments and garlands. His eyes are reddened and face painted in appropriate colours to present the whole figure. Subhadra, the sister of Sri Krishna, is likewise dressed on the minukku pattern.The court jester in a minukku play attires himself in a perfect clownish manner. His make-up consists in giving a back ground of white rice paste on the face and hands, circular red marks being placed in the middle of the forehead. cheeks, tip of the nose, breast and fore-arms. The eyes are elongated up to the ears. Double moustache with ends raised and then lowered, are provided. If flowers are stuck in one ear, betel-leaves are in the other. There is no skirt but a dhoti.
 
From Kathakali it surprisingly differs at least in this that it offers opportunities for women to play feminine roles - an opportunity which is denied in the former art-form.
References
1.
 Avinash C Pandeya, The Art of Kathakali. Murshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd., New Delhi,1999.
   
2.
 Festivals of Kerala, Tourist Desk, Cochin,1993.
   
3.
 Paulose K. G, Koodiyattam - A historical study, Government Sanskrit College Committee, Tripunithura.
   
4.
 Venugopalan P. (ed), Koodiyattam, Margi Publication, 1999.