Kalakshetra literally means “A Holy Place for the Arts”. It was established in 1936 by Rukmini Devi in order to spark a revival of South Indian traditions in music, dance and handicrafts. Both her father and husband were influential members of the Theosophical Society in Adyar.
While most members of the Society, including her husband, were absorbed in their work to advance India’s political freedom, Mrs. Devi determined “that a cultural renaissance would be equally meaningful - that a country which was (in the process of) losing its identity would be best served by a revival of its traditional arts. . .”
Today, Kalakshetra is a thriving campus that hosts serious students from all over the world. Throughout the year, Kalakshetra’s unique auditorium, called the Bharata (Indian) 'kootambalam' (temple stage) is used for dance and music performances featuring top masters from throughout India. It pays to keep an eye out for who might be appearing there (and when) because the academy is not necessarily organized in the same way in which similar non-commercial enterprises might be. Kalakshetra often fails to advertise as they are philosophically opposed to any trappings of commercialism. As such, most public performances are free. (Not even donations are solicited.)
Rukmini Devi was deeply involved in the revival of South Indian crafts as well. The Weaving Centre she established on campus is still active, as is the Kalamkari printing and research center which helped to revive this once dying art. The showroom is open during business hours for those who wish to buy uniquely branded saris and other textiles at reasonable wholesale prices.
The grounds at Kalakshetra are exquisitely beautiful. During school hours, one can see children in bright uniforms gathered around their teachers in the cool shade of vigorous Peepal trees. Kalakshetra has been slow to adopt modern conveniences for its steady stream of delighted visitors. Not until very recently has there been a food court and western-style public toilets. It must also be said that the grounds are far from being wheelchair friendly.
I must have seen as many performances as I missed at Kalakshetra. All were first rate and downright intoxicating. I never had much background in Indian classical music or dance. At first blush, it all looks and sounds a bit random. As the performances progress, however, the artists’ commitment to seamless perfection draws one in. It’s interesting that Indians have a different idea about how audiences should behave vis-à-vis their entertainers. People are quite expected to get up and leave during performances for whatever reason and return whenever they wish. This they do with seemingly studied indifference, in stark contrast to the artist’s unyielding discipline.
Several of the accompanying pictures (below) were taken during the three-day Kathakali festival in September ’09. Kathakali is native to the state of Kerala located on the opposite Indian (Malabar) coast. Top dancers and musicians from there were asked to perform scenes from Hindu Vedic texts for the duration of the festival. Kathakali is said to be an expression of the ‘unworldly’. It is highly stylized (much like Japanese kabuki theater), involving largely small gestures – hand and finger contortions; eye movements, and shivering – and flamboyant, bell-shaped costumes. Make-up can take up to four hours to apply; dancers can only dance with broken arches; the whites of the eyes of the principals must appear red… The demands on performers are endless.
If you were to go to Kerala to see Kathakali, you would have to pay a pretty sum for the privilege. Performances there are usually held in temples at night by the light of a single oil lamp with as many as 63 wicks ablaze. The temples are generally off-limits to non-Hindus. Therefore, Kathakali can only be seen by foreign visitors when and if a tour operator is able to make it a part of a (rice boat) inland waterways package. Here at Kalakshetra it was free – and absolutely, wonderfully ‘unworldly’!
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