KATHAKALI

Krishna to Krishna, too blessed a life/ Sri. Mankulam Vishnu Namboothiri

In the Star Thrikketta, he was born, in Karkkitaka of the Malayalam year 1085, which comes as the August 15 th of the year 1910. Prime staging was as Krishna the dear one of Rukmini and vanished as a blaze in Viswaroopa after messaging in the durbar of the Kowravas. Rukmini Swayamvaram was the first play which was in Pullukulangara temple and Duryodhana Vadham in Sarkkara temple made the other end.

Sarkkara temple witnessed the artistic combination ever loved for the last time too, with Sri. Mankulam as Krishna and Padmasree Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair as Balabhadra in Subhadraharanam which was the first play on the same stage. It was his hanker made him to be in two or three and even four at times on stage in different plays on the same day, like an energetic evergreen youth even in his seventies. It was the passion and power of will made the dedicated brave one to ignore the annoying pains signaling his countdown and to perform in two plays on the same stage, which was his final one too. To be born again a thousand times to live as Krishna, he dreamt. Blessed was the life and too blessed was the ending, to have his son Prof. Mankulam Krishnan Namboothiri with him to convey the Viswaroopa in tremendous percussions, as the rhythm of his trembling heart in the last moments. Proud son of a father immortal!