THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, August 14, 2011 (PTI) Ten years ago, Keralas centuries-old classical Sanskrit drama “Koodiyattam” was declared a cultural “heritage of humanity” by UNESCO; but today, practitioners are struggling to make ends meet.
Before this traditional theatre was selected, UNESCO had reserved the coveted tag for tangible heritages like monuments. The declaration was joyously welcomed by classical enthusiasts, and cultural journals were flooded with write-ups and pictures of Koodiyattam.
But now the fanfare has largely died down. Without sufficient institutional support, and faced with a declining interest in classical arts among the younger generations, the 2,000-year-old art form is left to a handful of cash-strapped artistes who find it hard to keep it alive without harming its classical purity.