Kerala Kalamandalam, Thrissur

Kerala Kalamandalam is a deemed-to-be-University of Art and Culture recognized by the Government of India, situated in the small town of Cheruthuruthi in Thrissur district, Kerala, on the banks of the Bharathapuzha river. It was formed as a society in 1927 by poet Vallathol Narayana Menon and art-promoter Mukunda Raja to revive classical performing arts of Kerala like Kathakali, Kudiyattam, and Mohiniyattam, which were nearing extinction. The institution was inaugurated in November 1930 at Kakkad house in Kunnamkulam, later moved to Ambalapuram, and finally settled in Cheruthuruthy in 1936 on land donated by the Maharaja of Cochin. It functions as a grant-in-aid institution under the Cultural Affairs Department, Government of Kerala, and was granted 'Deemed University for Art and Culture' status in 2006, later receiving an 'A' category status from the UGC in 2010. Kalamandalam offers training in classical dance and theatre forms including Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Kudiyattam, Thullal, Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, and Nangiar Koothu, as well as percussion instruments like chenda, maddalam, and mizhavu, following the traditional gurukula system of residential learning. Several Indian Prime Ministers, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, V. P. Singh, and Manmohan Singh, have visited the institution.