Some intriguing facts related to Chavittu Nadakam- the ancient art form of Kerala

Could anyone tell which is the first image that runs into your mind when you hear the name Kerala for the first time? I think it would be the breathtaking hill stations enveloped in mist and fog. The green carpets of tea, coffee and spice plantations add beauty to the deep funnel-shaped valleys situated at an average altitude form the surface. Or is it the enormous collection of various types of fauna and flora. It would be hard for anyone to accurately tell the specific factor that lures thousands of thousands of travellers from various parts of the world. The calm ambience and picture-perfect landscapes always surpass the fascinating natural resources abundantly bestowed by the almighty to the only state called Kerala situated on the bottom sector of the democratic country, India. Describing the marvellous ambiguity of serene Kerala in a single essay would be a little tedious job. Just as the natural resources captivate travellers to purchase the tour packages at cheap prices for their family to Kerala. In the same way, the ancient and undistinguished art forms also grab people not only from foreign countries but also from neighbouring cities such as Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai. Out of the many art forms, many dance and music of olden days are unfortunately vanishing form the state. The unawareness of the importance of art forms, ignorance of protecting the ancient traditions played a significant role in the disappearance of the mind-blowing art forms. Chavittu Nadakam one of the outstanding art form of Kerala once attracted many national and international tourist to marvel their hearts. The typical dance steps and the unique tone make Chavittu Nadakam a fabulous art form in the state. To know more about it fascinating features about Chavittu Nadakam scroll down the following paragraphs and absorb the valuable facts related to it.

Some unknown facts about the ancient Christian art form, Chavittu Nadakam

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Just like every religion, even the Christians have a unique art form called Chavittu Nadakam. There would be no wrong if one says that ancient art forms especially Chavittu Nadakam gave a new identity to Christianity in Kerala. In colloquial language ‘Chavittu’ means a stamp or huge steps and ‘nadakam’ means drama. Hence Chavittu nadakam means a drama where artists stamp the floor according to the musical beats. There is no proper when and where did the Chavittu Nadakam originate. Some say that during the 16th century a few traders from Portuguese arrive in Kerala and found that the Hindu religion had their own art form called Kathakali. It played a vital role in grabbing many people to their community. Therefore the Portuguese traders together with some local people gave birth to the eccentric and fabulous art form called Chavittu Nadakam. Some say that even before the arrival of European traders the Christians of Kerala practised Chavittu Nadakam. But to them, historians have to say a few steps of the drama resembles the European opera.

 Chavittu Nadakam not only concentrates to Biblical stories but also to…

The amusing composition of dance and song called Chavittu Nadakam mainly portrays the famous stories from the holy book the Bible such as the popular fights between David and Goliath, and so on. Along with it they also inculcate some well-renowned war stories of those times such as the war between Alexander the great and David, Charles the great and many more. The early stages of the drama the artisans mainly focused on the themes such as adventure stories and incidents from the spiritual books. But in the following centuries, they started to emphasize the stories such as Komala Chandrika, Njanasundhari, Karlsman, Sathyapalan and Anjelica. The songs used in the drama are a combination of two languages namely Malayalam and Tamil and sung by the performers itself.

The exquisite attires used for the gorgeous drama attracts many art lovers

Normally the Chavittu Nadakam is performed on the open stages but on rare occasions, it is played in the interior parts of the church. The artisans perform the drama on the wooden planks and when they performers stamps on it; it creates a huge sound and hence the drama was baptised as Chavittu Nadakam in colloquial language. The glittering attires were once imported from the European countries resembled the royal kings and queens of those nations. Along with royal costumes they performers also use eye-catching ornaments.

Kerala Chavittu Nataka Academy – the home of Chavittu Nadakam

Chavittu Nadakam is mainly practised in the southern regions of Kerala especially Thrissur, Ernakulum, Kollam, Alleppey and so on. In order to protect the marvellous art form, Chavittu Nadakam is widely practised and trained in the Kerala Chavittu Nataka Academy. It was established in the year 2005 and trains hundreds of art lovers. It is the perfect place to learn the various aspects of the Chavittu Nadakam. Many art enthusiast flocks to the academy to learn its various factors by purchasing the tour packages from the prominent travel operators. As part of conserving the ancient art form the state government of Kerala included in the school and college youth festival. Day by day our world is changing and many things such as ceremonies and different types of rituals and functions are also being altered. The rituals and functions which prolonged for several days have now been cut short into one or two days. Similarly, Chavittu Nadakam has also been altered into an art form of 2 to 3 hours. Initially, the stage was occupied with more than 100 participants and now been limited to nearly 75 members.

Witnessing the ancient art forms will help you to study the unique culture and traditions of the particular region in depth. To learn more about the Chavittu Nadakam many travel enthusiast from various corners of the world tour to Kerala by availing of family tour packages from Gogeo Holidays. They are one of the leading travel planners in the state. They draft the packages by inculcating fabulous tourist destinations of Kerala. You can buy the cheapest packages from them either through offline or online mode. To clarify all your doubts regarding the packages contact their customer support team without any hesitation.

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