A life dedicated to art 

KOCHI: Adorned with peacock feathers on the waist, ‘njuri’ on top, with a crown and ornaments — kollaram, kazhutaaram, vala, tholpoottu, and paratikkamani — and masked with green, yellow, and black paint, artists get down from the chariot (chaadu) and head out to the Bhagvathy temple. They bow to Goddess Kaali and proceed to dance. This is Arjuna Nritham. 

It is performed mainly at the bhagvathy temples of Kottayam and Alappuzha as an offering by the devotees to the deity. The artist will get ready at the house of the devotee who paid for the offering. They will wear the garment, paint their faces with natural ingredients and devotees have to bear the expenses, from setting up a marquee to arranging food for people. 

This centuries-old ritual art form that was once prominent in south Kerala is now on the verge of extinction. Nadesan Palamoottil and his team from Kurichy are busy working hard to revive the art form and push it back to where it once belonged.  

Kurichy Nadesan, who mastered the art from his father, Kurichy P S Kumaran, had succeeded in bringing Arjuna Nritham from the confinements of the temple to the outside. “Since childhood, I used to accompany my father and his crew whenever they went to perform. By the age of 15, I debuted. From then onwards, I have been performing the art form full time,” he says. 

“The art form began to deteriorate in the last 30-40 years. As it was limited to the temple, the artists got to perform it only thrice. Many backed out from pursuing the art form as a full-time career. So, it was necessary to shape Arjuna Nritham to fit in the entertainment mode. This gave the artists other platforms to exhibit the art form,” says Nadesan. 

Earlier, there used to be a large crowd of spectators who came to watch our performance,Natesan remembers. Nowadays, it has become rare to find people who enjoy the art form, he says. 

History
The legend behind Arjuna Nritham starts when Pandavas were in exile. Kunti, the mother of Pandavas prays to the Goddess Kaali to give her children the strength to bear their hardships and pledges to make a human sacrifice. The Pandavas regained power in the Kurukshetra war and Kunti Devi forgets about her oath. Goddess Kaali then sends Sage Narada Muni to remind Yudhisthira about their mother’s promise. The third brother Arjuna volunteers to present himself as the sacrifice.

Arjuna dresses up with gifts received from gods — peacock feathers from Subramaniyan, crown from Indra, and many other ornaments from other gods — and is taken to Kaali in a chariot. The Goddess, pleased with Arjunan’s appearance, spares his life. Arjuna then dances in reverence of Goddess Kaali. This is how Arjuna Nritham was born. 

Visual
The striking features of the Arjuna Nritham are its rich costume and facial makeup. Facial powders are made from a stone which is then made into a yellow coloured paste to be smeared on the forehead. As the paste is mixed with Neelam (blue) a green colour is formed which is applied all over the face. The paste formed out of red stone is applied to the lips. “Inclusion of peacock feathers and the absence of Chutti (white makeup) makes Arjuna Nritham different from Kathakali,” explains Nadeshan.

The art form is also known by the name, Mayilpeeli Thookam, as peacock feathers make the costume stand out.The dance movements of Arjuna Nritham are similar to the Kalaripayattu techniques. There are around 108 rhythmic patterns or thalams. All Mayilpeeli Thookam performances begin with the ‘Ganapathi Thalam’ and is followed by a series of strict rhythm-based songs called ‘Kavittham’. 

GOVERNMENT LAPSES
The difficulty in mastering, lack of acceptance and the low remuneration for the hard work are the primary reasons why fewer people attempt to practice the art form, Nadesan feels. “I have taught the art to many, but many don’t continue it as they look for other jobs to survive. Arjuna Nritham will be extinct within the next 5 to 10 years if this continues,” says Natesan.

According to Nadesan, Arjuna Nritham or any traditional art can be pulled back from the verge of extinction with help from the government. He says institutions like Sangeetha Nataka Akademi and Folklore Akademican can provide support by setting aside a budget to preserve traditional folk art forms. Earlier, ‘ULSAVAM’, an event organised government, used to provide a stage for artists from all the districts. “The duration of the Ulsavam, which used to be six months, has now been reduced to one week,” says Natesan.

Being one of the very few artists who perform Mayilpeeli Thookam, the 60-year-old Natesan Pulimoottil is striving to revive the art form through his ten-member group, Arjuna Nirtha Kalalayam, based in Kurichy. He has received Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi award in the year 2007, Kerala Folklore Akademi award in the year 2011, Kerala Folklore Akademi fellowship in 2016 and has also bagged the Central Governments, Senior Fellowship.