Kottayathu Thampuran Kathakali Festival at Kannur

4th Edition of Kottayathu Thampuran Kathakali Festival

Date: 02 – 09 Oct 2026

Venue: Sree Mridanga Saileswari Temple, Muzhakkunnu,  Kannur – 670673. Keralam.

This is the 4th Edition of Kottayathu Thampuran Kathakali Festival organized by The South Zone Cultural Centre (SZCC), Thanjavur, Ministry of Culture, Government of India in association with Sree Mridangasaileswari Devaswom, Muzhakunnu, Kannur. Through this festival, SZCC is making an attempt to revive the tradition of performing the entire repertoire of the four Kottayam plays- Bakavadham, Kirmeeravadham, Kalyanasougandhikam, and Nivatakavacha Kalakeyavadham- written by Veera Kerala Varma aka Kottayam Thamburan.

The schedule

02 Oct 2026 (Day 1):

03:45 Pm - Keli

04:00 Pm - Thodayam: Kalamandalam Ashik, Kalamandalam Adithyan (Jn), Kalamandalam Vishnumon, Kalamandalam Suryakiran

Kathakali performance 

Kathakali Play: Bakavadham (Dhridarashtra to Hidumba Vadham)

Characters& Artistes: 

Dhridarashtrar-  Kalamandalam Akhil Varma[ Dharmaputhrar- Kalamandalam Vipin Sankar; Purojanan-  Kalamandalam Ashik; Asari-Kalamandalam Mayyanad Rajeev; Bheemasenan- Kalamandalam Arun Warrier; Kunti- Kalamandalam Vishnumon; Hidumban-  Kalamandalam Saikarthik; Hidumbi-  Kalamandalam Mahendran; Lalitha- Kalamandalam Sivadasan

Vocal- Kalamandalam Babu Namboothiri, Sadanam Sivadasan, Kalamandalam Ajesh Prabhakar, Kalamandalam Viswas, Kalamandalam Sreejith Marar

Chenda- Kalamandalam Ravi Sankar, Kalamandalam Sudheesh, Kalamandalam Sreerag

Madhalam- Kalamandalam Venugopal, Kalamandalam Jayaprasad, Kalamandalam Vishnu

Idakka- Kalamandalam Ajith Kumar

Chutty- Kalamandalam Murali, Kalamandalam Rajesh, Sadanam Vivek

03 Oct 2026 (Day 02) 

10:00 Am - Cholliyattam (Demonstration)

Vesham- Kalamandalam Abin Babu, Kalamandalam Ashik, Kalamandalam Akhilvarma

Vocal- Kalamandalam Ajesh Prabhakar, Kalamandalam Sreejith Marar

Chenda- Kalamandalam Akash

Madhalam- Kalamandalam Jayaprasad

4:00 Pm - Purappadu (1 Kireedam 1 Sthree Vesham)

Kalamandalam Vishnumon, Kalamandalam Adithyan (Jn)

Kathakali performance

Kathakali play: Bakavadham Part-2 (From Vedavyasan to Bakan's Vadham) 

Characters& Artistes: 

Veda Vyasan- Kalamandalam Abin Babu; Bheemasenan- Kalamandalam Harinarayanan; Lalitha- Kalamandalam Akhil Varma; Ghadolghajan- Kalamandalam Ashik; Brahmana Pathni- Kalamandalam Vishnumon; Brahmanan- Kalamandalam Abin Babu; Kunthi- Kalamandalam Akhil Varma; Bheemasenan 2: Fact Biju Bhaskar; Bakan: Kalamandalam Narayanankutty; Brahmanar: Kalamandalam Vishnumon, Kalamandalam Adithyan (Jn).

Vocal: Kalamandalam Babu Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Ajesh Prabhakar, Kottakkal Santhosh, Kalamandalam Sreejith Marar

Chenda: Kalamandalam Ravi Sankar, Kalamandalam Sudheesh, Kalamandalam Akash

Madhalam: Kalamandalam Venugopal, Kalamandalam Jayaprasad, Kalamandalam Vishnu

Chutty: Kalamandalam Murali, Kalamandalam Rajesh, Sadanam Vivek

04 Oct 2026 (Day 03)

10:00 Am - Cholliyattam (Demonstration)

Vesham: Sadanam Sadanandhan, Kalamandalam Surya Kiran, Kalamandalam Ashik

Vocal: Kottakkal Santhosh, Kalamandalam Sreejith Marar

Chenda: Kalamandalam Akash

Madhalam: Kalamandalam Jayaprasad4:00 Pm - Pakuthippurappad (2 Mudi, 2 Sthree)

Kalamandalam Adithyan (Jn), Kalamandalam Vishnumon, Kalamandalam Saikarthik, Kalamandalam Riya.

Kathakali performance

Kathakali Play: Kirmeeravadham Part-1

Characters& Artistes: 

Dharmaputhrar- Kalamandalam Pradheep; Panjali- Sadanam Sadanandan; Dhawmyan- Kalamandalam Suryakiran; Adithyan- Kalamandalam Swarachand; Sree Krishnan- Kalamandalam Vaisakh; Sudarshanan- Kalamandalam Ashik; Durvasavu-  Kalamandalam Ravikumar; Dharmaputhrar 2- Kalamandalam Abin Babu.

Vocal- Kottakal Madhu, Kalamandalam Vinod, Nedumbally Ram Mohan, Kottakkal Santhosh

Chenda- Kalamandalam Venu Mohan, Kalamandalam Sreevin, Kalamandalam Akash

Madhalam- Kalamandalam Haridasan, Sadanam Jayarajan, Kalamandalam Jayaprasad

Chutty- Kalamandalam Murali, Kalamandalam Ravikumar, Sadanam Vivek

05 Oct 2026 (Day 04):

10:00 Am - Cholliyattam (Demonstration)

Vesham- Kalamandalam Praveen, Sadanam Vipin Chandran, Kalamandalam Girish

Vocal- Kalamandalam Yaswanth, Sadanam Preman

Chenda- Kalamandalam Akash; Madhalam- Kalamandalam Vaisakh

Kathakali performance (4pm)

Kathakali Play: Kirmeeravadham Part 2, From Shardoolan to Vadham

Characters& Artistes: 

Shardoolan- Sadanam Vishnu Prasad; Arjunan- Sadanam Vipin Chandran[ Simhika: Kalamandalam Prasanth Panmana; Lalitha- Kalamandalam Chambakkara Vijayan; Panjali- Kalamandalam Praveen

Sahadevan- Sadanam Vipin Chandran; Kirmeeran- Sadanam Bhasi; Bheemasenan- Kalamandalam Girish

Vocal: Kalamandalam Vinod, Kottakkal Vengeri Narayanan Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Yaswanth, Sadanam Preman; Chenda: Kalamandalam Venu Mohan, Kalamandalam Sreehari, Kalamandalam Akash

Madhalam: Kalamandalam Rajanarayanan, Sadanam Devadasan, Kalamandalam Vaisakh

Idakka: Kalamandalam Ajith Kumar.

Chutty: Kalamandalam Ravikumar, Sadanam Vivek, Kalamandalam Vaisakh

06 Oct 2026 (Day 05)

10:00 Am - Cholliyattam (Demonstration)

Vesham- Kalamandalam Sooraj, Kalamandalam Adithyan, Kalamandalam Vipin Chandran

Vocal- Kalamandalam Sreejith P Kumar, Kalamandalam Karthik

Chenda- Kalamandalam Sreehari; Madhalam: Kalamandalam Narayanan

Kathakali peformance (4:00 Pm) 

Kathakali Play: Kalyana Saugandhikam Part-1(Showrigunam  to the end of Ghadolghajan)

Characters& Artistes: 

Bheemasenan 1- Dr. Rajeev; Dharmaputhrar- Sadanam Vipin Chandran; Krishnan- Kalamandalam Aravind; Jadasuran- Sadanam Vishnu Prasad; Brahmanan- Kalamandalam Swarachand; Bheemasenan 2- Kalamandalam Margi Balasubramaniyan; Panjali- Kalamandalam Sooraj; Ghadolghachan- Kalamandalam Sai Karthik.

Vocal-Sadanam Syamalan, Kalamandalam Jayaprakash, Panayoor Kuttan, Kalamandalam Sreejith P Kumar; Chenda- Kalamandalam Nandakumar, Kalamandalam Harish Marar, Kalamandalam Sreehari

Madhalam: Kottakkal Ramesan, Satheesan Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Narayanan

Chutty: Sadanam Vivek, Kalamandalam Vaisakh

07 Oct 2026 (Day 06)

10:00 Am - Cholliyattam (Demonstration)

Vesham- Sadanam Vijayan, Kalamandalam Adithyan (Jn), Kalamandalam Riya

Vocal- Kalamandalam Rajesh Babu, Kalamandalam Vineesh

Chenda- Kalamandalam Sreerag Manoj

Madhalam- Kalamandalam Prasanth

4:00 Pm - Purappadu (Nalunokku)

Kalamandalam Riya, Kalamandalam Adhithyan (Jn), Kalamandalam Saikarthik, Kalamandalam Swarachand

Kathakali Performance

Kathakali Play: Kalyana Saugandhikam Part 2 (From Panjala Raja to Thirichuvaravu)

Characters& Artistes: 

Bheemasenan- Sadanam Vijayan; Panjali- Kalamandalam Kannambra Rajesh; Hanuman- Kalamandalam Surya Narayanan; Krodhavasan- Kalamandalam Arun Kumar

Vocal- Kalamandalam Sajeevan, Kalanilayam Rajeevan, Kalamandalam Rajesh Babu, Kalamandalam Vineesh

Chenda- Ayamkudi Unnikrishnan, Kalamandalam Nidhin Krishna, Kalamandalam Sreerag Manoj

Madhalam- Kalamandalam Achutha Wariyar, Mattannur Satheesan Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Prasanth

Chutty: Kalamandalam Sivadasan, Sadanam Vivek

08 Oct 2026 (Day 07)

10:00 Am - Cholliyattam (Demonstration)

Vesham- Sadanam Manikandan, Kalamandalam Adithyan, Kalamandalam Surya Kiran

Vocal- Sadanam Jyothish Babu, Sreedevan Cherumittam

Chenda:-Kalamandalam Sreerag Manoj; Madhalam- Kalamandalam Prasanth

4:00 Pm - Purappad  

Mudi: Kalamandalam Riya, Sthree: Kalamandalam Vignesh

Kathakali performance

Kathakali play: - Kalakeya Vadham Part-1 (From Indran to Vajrabahu)

Characters& Artistes: 

Indran- Kalamandalam Surya Kiran; Madhali- Kalamandalam Adhithyan; Arjunan- Sadanam Manikandan;

Indrani- Kalamandalam Vignesh; Vajra Bahu- Kalamandalam Parthasarathi; Vajra Kethu- Kalamandalam Nidhin Balachandran.

Vocal: Kalamandalam Hareesh Namboothiri, Kottakkal Santhosh, Sadanam Jyothish Babu, Sreedevan Cherumittam

Chenda: Kalanilayam Udhayan Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Sreeraj, Kalamandalam Sreerag Manoj

Madhalam: Kalamandalam Hariharan, Kalamandalam Prasanth, Sadanam Ratheesh

Chutty: Sadanam Vivek, Kalamandalam Sudheesh

09 Oct 2026 (Day 08)

10:00 Am - Cholliyattam (Demonstration)

Vesham: Kottakkal C.M Unnikrishnan, Kalamandalam Adithyan, Kalamandalam Vignesh

Vocal: Kalamandalam Yaswanth, Kalamandalam Jeevan; Chenda: Kalamandalam Sreeraj

Madhalam: Kalamandalam Sudheesh Paloor

Kathakali Performance: (4pm)

Kathakali Play: Kalakeya Vadham Part-2 ( From Pandavante Roopam to Vadham)

Characters& Artistes: 

Urvasi- Kalamandalam Shanmugadas; Sakhi- Kalamandalam Vignesh; Arjunan- Kottakkal C.M Unnikrishnan; Indran- Kalamandalam Adithyan; Nivadakavachan- Kalamandalam Vivek[ Kalakeyan- Kalamandalam Neeraj; Bheeru- Kalamandalam Vignesh; Nandikesan- Kalamandalam Sreeram.

Vocal: Kalamandalam Hareesh Namboothiri, Kalamandalam Ajesh Prabhakar, Kalamandalam Viswas, Kalamandalam Yaswanth, Kalamandalam Jeevan

Chenda: Kalanilayam Udhayan Namboothiri, Sadanam Jithin, Kalamandalam Sreeraj

Madhalam: Kalamandalam Hariharan, Kalamandalam Prasanth, Kalamandalam Sudheesh Paloor

Idakka: Kalamandalam Ajith Kumar; Chutty: Sadanam Vivek, Kalamandalam Sudheesh

Costume: Kathakali School Cheruthuruthy