Meeting Sreedharan Nair - the most experienced curtain holder of Krishnanattam

We have seen Sreedharan Nair as a curtain holder of Krishnanattam at Guruvayur temple during our school/college days (1970 to 1973). (Sreedharan Nair is the curtain holder in the scene of the play Svargarohanam given in plate 14 [1]). Subsequently, when we used to watch Krishnanattam Plays in the temple, Sreedharan Nair was always present, during 1994 to 2004, as the ever-present curtain holder of Krishnanattam. The information given by Sreedharan Nair, the most experienced curtain holder of Krishnanattam during our meeting on 30th and 31st October 2012 at Guruvayur is as follows:
Full Name: Tiyyath Ativalappil Sreedharan Nair
Year of Birth: About 1945
Father: Krishnan Nair
Mother: Parukkutty Amma
Address: Tiyyath Ativalappil Sreedharan Nair, Vallashsheri Parambu, South Nada, Guruvayur - 680 101
Sreedharan Nair's wife is Kamalamma. He has two daughters (Shyamalakumari and Rajyashri) who are married and settled. He has a son Girish Kumar who is unemployed (studied upto 10th standard).

Background:

Sreedharan Nair's family has been residing in Guruvayur for the last seventy-five years or so. His father Krishnan Nair worked as a curtain holder with the Krishnanattam troupe for about two years. Sreedharan Nair studied in school up to standard three. He started working as a curtain holder with the Krishnanattam troupe when he was about 15 years old (1960).

Working conditions and remuneration

The most experienced curtain holder of the Krishnanattam troupe worked as a daily laborour. Throughout his service, the wages were paid on a daily basis. According to Sreedharan Nair, there is no record of his service in Guruvayur Devasvam. To begin with, his remuneration was Rs. 2 per day. As years passed, the remuneration gradually increased to Rs. 5 per day, Rs. 7 per day, Rs. 10 per day, Rs. 50 per day and finally, when he left the troupe (2004), the remuneration was Rs. 75 per day. Now (2012) Sreedharan Nair is working as a casual labourer in a hotel in Guruvayur.

Some experiences

Every year during the time of Arangu Kali in the Temple, starting from Vijayadashami, Sridharan Nair used to polish the large oil lamp used for the play, daily. He took up the cleaning work right after lunch. After polishing the lamp, he used to wipe it dry and keep it ready for the day's play.
As a child, Sreedharan Nair remembers the actor T.V. Vasudevan Nedungadi - Plate 2 [1] as an actor having immense faith in lord Krishna. Nedungadi was suffering from health problems which ceased once he started performing as an actor with the Krishnanattam troupe. Sreedharan Nair has visited the house of Nedungadi at Mannangod in Palakkad District several times. According to Sreedharan Nair, training and exercise is a must for any actor. In olden days, the teachers themselves used to massage the limbs of the students. Holding on to a rope, the teachers used to massage the legs of the students with their legs.

Singers and Maddalam players wearing turban - Plate 2 [1]

According to Sreedharan Nair, the singers and maddalam players used to wear turban only for the Arangu Kali performed yearly after Vijayadashami.

Purappatu of Banayuddham - Hanging oil lamps

In Purappatu of Banayuddham, two hanging oil lamps used to be held by two stage hands on either side of Krishna along with Satyabhama riding on the back of Garuda - Plate 17 [1].

Kamsavadham In the play Kamsavadham, soon after killing the elephant Kuvalayapidham, the curtain is held briefly before Krishna and Balarama meet Kamsa and the wrestlers. According to Sreedharan Nair, curtain is held to separate the scene of killing the elephant which takes place at the entrance, from the scene of wrestling which occurs in the wrestling arena.

Timing of taking away of the curtain

According to Sreedharan Nair, the timing of taking away of curtain should match the readiness of the actors and suit the rhythm played by the musical instruments.

Faith in Guruvayurappan

As per Sreedharan Nair, all the members of the troupe shall have faith in Lord Guruvayurappan. This is the basic requirement for the success of the performance.

Asans

Sreedharan holds the master teachers of the earlier generation such as Asan Achutan Nair, Asan Gopalan Nair and Asan Koman Nair (Chingath Shankaran Nair) in high regards. They were sincere and faithful to their occupation.

Krishnanattam as votive offering

Sreedharan Nair has personally heard many devotees praying to the Lord to help them to overcome their difficulties in life. He has met several childless couples who were blessed with children after a votive offering of Avataram. Offering of Svayamvaram for marriage of daughters, Kamsavadham for settlement of property disputes in the family and Banayuddham for success in legal cases - These were popular.

Branches of trees as props

Sreedharan Nair used to go to a place on the east side of the Guruvayur Temple and fetch the tree branches as required. Years ago, once, he went in the evening to cut a tree branch. He selected a branch and gripped the same tightly without noticing a snake coiled around the branch. After cutting the branch, he released his grip and then noticed the snake.
For Kaliyamardanam and Svargarohanam, branch of Banyan tree is used. In Svayamvaram, Jambavan and Krishna fight using branches of Elanji tree. For Vividavadham, a branch of Elanji tree is used.

References
[1] Krishnanattam, Martha Ashton Bush Sikora, Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd (1993).