Chavittu Nadakam – The Storytellers of Seashore

The focus of this series revolves around the everyday life of the performers of Chavittunadakam, a dance-music-drama combination originated during Portuguese rule in South India. This art form blends martial tradition of ancient Kerala with the theatre and musical traditions of 15th and 16th century Europe. Taking threads from the life histories of heroic figures of the European Empires and saintly figures in Christian history, each Chavittunadakam performance brings the whiff of the continent to the coastal villages of Kerala. The performers wear plenty of facial make-up, vivid costumes, huge thrones and ornaments, which together give a superhero aura to the characters. But in real life, they enjoy no special status; they belong to the backward dalit and fishermen communities converted to Christianity by the colonial missionaries. With colourful costumes and jewels of royal figures, the performers who otherwise struggle to make both ends meet, push the boundaries of caste and the web of hierarchies it creates.

These artists are from one of the most marginalized sections of society, in Chellanam region in Kochi. The coastal areas they live in are the most prone to the effects of climate change and global warming, as the sea gradually erodes their homes and settlements every year. So while enduring this fury of nature – which is unreasonable for this community that reveres the sea, they are single-handedly fighting to preserve a vital piece of cultural heritage forged during the Portuguese era.

Exhibited at:

• ‘Art of India Redux’ Assemblage, Nebraska, USA
• Sea A Boiling Vessel Exhibition, Kochi
• Contextual Cosmologies, Thiruvananthapuram (30 Images)