Snippets of Information - Dance
Mohiniyattam (Mohini attam)
* 24 Jul 2025
Mohiniyattam literally means 'dance of
enchantress'. According to the Natyashastra, graceful dance
movements with an embodied feminine nature are named as Lasya.
Mohiniyattam has been identified as an iconic Lasya dance.
Mohiniyattam's roots can be traced to the ancient temple dance culture.
The dancing girls in the Kerala region, known as Thevadichi (servants of
the God) and Thali Naga (Women of the Temple), are considered the
ancestors of the dance form.
Source: keralatourism.org
* 24 Jul 2025
Kalamandalam Sathyabhama on origin of Mohini attam
from the book 'Mohiniattam-History, Techniques and Performance’
(Mohiniattam Charithram Sindhadham Prayogam) by Kalamandalam
Sathyabhama, co-authored by her daughter Kalamandalam Lathika Mohandas.
The earliest reference to Mohiniattam is in ‘Balarama Bharatham’
authored by Karthika Thirunal (1723 – 1798). He called it ‘Mohiniyatta
natanam.’ He was so impressed by this dance known as Dasiyattam from a
neighboring kingdom and at his behest one of his courtiers formatted it
as Mohiniattam. Poet Ullur in his ‘History of Kerala Literature’ records
Mohiniattam as a prevailing dance form in 18th century. It was during
the time of Swathi Thirunal that Mohiniattam gained its classical
dimension with features like cholkettu, Jathiswaram, Varnam, Padam,
Thillana. The king composed many lyrics in which sringara dominated that
suited the lasya aspect of Mohiniattam. Years later, one of his
courtiers Parameswara Bhagavathar who was enchanted by the performance
of the wife of Swathi Thirunal, a renowned Mohiniattam dancer, returned
home after the king’s demise. It was Parameswara Bhagavathar who taught
this dance form to girls in Coimbatore from where it reached different
parts of Malabar.
Source: ‘Mohiniattam-History, Techniques and Performance’ by Kalamandalam Sathyabhama - Padma Jayaraj, narthaki.com, July 13, 2014
* 24 Jul 2025
Kerala Kalamandalam on origin of Mohini attam
Mohiniyattam, commonly misunderstood as having been the dance of
Vishnu’s feminine alter-ego mohini, has a recent documented history
although its roots may be traced back to the first chapters of south
india’s cultural history. Although we do know that it existed before the
time of Maharaja Swati Tirunal, it is only during his rule in the 19th
century that the art form was deliberately brought centre-stage for a
revival like its counterparts in other regions. The Nalwars systemized
the form but there is no evidence of what technique it assumed. The post
Swathi Tirunal period witnessed the downfall of Mohiniyattam.
Source: kalamandalam.ac.in
* 24 Jul 2025
Methil Devika on origin of Mohini attam
It is a no-brainer to presume that Mohiniyattam, or its primal form may
not have originated in Kerala after all. My own research on the
'indigenous' has made me realize that one cannot call anything
completely indigenous especially with respect to Mohiniyattam. Neither
the talas, nor the ragas, nor the hastas, nor the instruments were
completely Keralite. One can lean on various sources for premising
Mohiniyattam to have come from other streams and to have evolved in the
Malayali soil. It did not enjoy a family lineage in Kerala unlike other
art forms but it did have random periods of existence. The repertoire as
is performed today obviously is not purely Keralite. Neither the edakka
nor the maddalam were purely Keralite. And if one thinks that doing
research on Keralite rhythms would be of essence, one could go wrong
there too. Talas like kundanachi or lakshmi that every dancer reels
about in her lecture demonstrations were never Keralite. They were
brought to Kerala and nurtured here. I would say that Kerala is a land
which nurtures and preserves and in its preservation, Mohiniyattam and
all the above entities have become indigenous.
Source: Mohiniyattam Missteps - A few observations by Methil Devika, narthaki.com, July 31, 2014
* 24 Jul 2025
The book ‘Mohiniattam-History, Techniques and Performance’ (Mohiniattam Charithram Sindhadham Prayogam) by Kalamandalam Sathyabhama,
co-authored by her daughter Kalamandalam Lathika Mohandas, is a
delightful tapestry featuring the story of Mohiniattam, Kerala’s
classical dance form traversing through five decades.
* 24 Jul 2025
The great poet Vallathol Narayana Menon, who established Kerala
Kalamandalam in 1930 to revive Kathakali, also sought one teacher Krishna Panicker who knew Mohini Attam. Mukundaraja and Vallathol
engaged him to teach Mohini Attam. Vallathol persuaded Kalyanikutty
Amma, and Guru Gopinath's wife Thangamani to learn Mohini Attam. In the
thirties, as per Mukundaraja's information, Ragini Devi, mother of
Indrani Rahman was visiting Kalamandalam and studying Kathakali. Shanta
Rao had joined to study Kathakali under Ravunni Menon and she also
studied the full course of Mohini Attam under Krishna Panicker. Another
younger girl, Sarojini Naidu's sister Sunalini Devi, had also joined to
study Mohini Attam.
Source: Dr. Sunil Kothari's review of the book 'Mohiniyattam: Its Art
and Aesthetics' by Bharati Shivaji, narthaki.com, June 26, 2020
* 11 Nov 2022
Mohiniyattam was added to the curriculum of Kalamandalam
in 1932. The first student for Mohiniyattam, Panthalathu Thankamma
was literally co erced into Kalamandalam. Thus in 1932, with one
student, one teacher and a Nattuvan - Korattikkara Appuredathu Krishna
Panicker, the department of Mohiniyattam at Kalamandalam came into
existence. In 1935, Thankamma left Kalamandalam after her
marriage. Madhavi amma was sent to shanthinikethan to assist with
the mohiniyattam classes there. In 1937 under the tutelage of
Chomayil Ramankandathu Valappil Madhavi Amma, with three new students,
Mohiniyattam was opened up once again, but had to be closed down, two
years later, as Madhavi amma and the Nattuvan took ill. Finally in 1950,
the department was resurrected once again like the phoenix, under the
guidance of Thottasheri Chinnammuamma. Chinnammu amma's legacy was
passed down to her able students like Kalamandalam Satyabhama. It is at
Kerala kalamandalam that the dance form was resurrected and given a
fresh lease of life in the hands of various gurus like Guru Kalyaniamma,
Guru Kunjukuttyamma and Guru Chinnammu amma. The dance form was further
codified and structured into a form, exclusive to Kalamandalam. What
one sees of Mohinivattam today, as the Kalamandalam style, has attained
its finely chiseled version by the efforts of the second generation
gurus like Guru Kalyanikutty Amma and Guru Satyabhama. Today
Mohiniyattam is the most sought after course at kalamandalam. As a
tribute to all the masters who nourished and nurtured it, 'the dance of
the enchantress' exists, unique, elegant and on its own physical and
spiritual dimension in the world of dance.
Source: kalamandalam.ac.in
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