Actors - Mani Damodara Chakyar

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	Actors - Mani Damodara Chakyar

Mani Damodara Chakyar (b. 1946) is a renowned Kutiyattam artist in Kerala state of south India. He is a nephew and desciple of legendary Mani Madhava Chakyar. He belongs to the great Mani tradition of Koodiyattam and Chakyar koothu.

He studied Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam in traditional way for more than 30 years under the direct guidence of Mani Madhava Chakyar.He has studied Sanskrit and Natyashastra in traditinal way. He holds a Master's degree in Sanskrit Literature as well.

He was a member of Legendary Mani Madhava Chakyar's Koodiyattam troop which performed Koodiyattam outside Kerala for the first time. In that performance ( 1962, Madras)- Thoranayudham Koodiyattam, he played the role of Vibhishana with his Guru- Mani Madhava Chakyar (as Ravana). He is an exponent of traditional devotional Koodiyattams, such as Anguliyanka, Mattavilasa, Mantranka, Ezhamanka ( seventh act of Ascharyachoodamani).

He has performed Koodiyattam all over India with the great Mani Madhava Chakyar. He has performed both as Nayaka and Vidushaka in Kudiyattams such as Swapnavasavadattam, Naganandam, Subhadradhananjayam etc. When the great Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar choreographed and directed Kalidasa's Mālavikāgnimitra and Vikramorvaśīya for the first time in the history of Kudiyattam, it was Mani Damodara Chakyar to whom he gave the role of Nayaka. Mani Damodara Chakyar staged Malavikagnimitram and Vikramorvasheeyam at Kalidasa Academy, Ujjain under the guidence of his Guru.

He was a member of Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar's troop which performed different Koodiyattams in places outside Kerala such as New Delhi, Banaras, Mumbai, Ujjain, Bhopal and Madras. He had the good fortune to perform in many important Conferences and Seminars such as World Sanskrit Conferences at Banaras, Bangalore and Thrissur.

He was the first Koodiyattam student who received scholarship from MHRD New Delhi. Later, both junior and senior fellowships where also awarded to him by the same department. He is the recipient of many prizes from different temples and cultural organisations. He has received the Kerala Sangeet Natak Academy Award for Koodiyattam.

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