B. C. Balachandar, Ottan Thullal dancer, applying green (heroic character) face makeup for his performance of the Kalyana Sougandhikam (“Auspicious Fragrant Lily”) a solo dance drama by Kunjan Nambiar (1705-1770), adapted from the Mahabharata epic. He performed this instead of the Rukmini Swayamvaram dance drama “Rukmini’s Choice,” recorded by A. A. Bake (Tefi 27.5) in Kottayam on 22 March 1938 .
A dresser adjusts the costume of dancer B. C. Balachandar for his performance of Kalyana Sougandhikam (“Auspicious Fragrant Lily”), an Ottan Thullal solo dance drama. It is similar to the “Rukmini Swayamvaram” Ottan Thullal recorded by A. A. Bake (Tefi 27.5) in Kottayam on 22 March 1938.
Dancer B. C. Balachandar performs an episode from the Ottan Thullal solo dance drama Kalyana Sougandhikam (“Auspicious Fragrant Lily”). He gestures in mock impatience at children in the audience. Musicians are behind him: a musician playing a mṛdaṅgam, a barrel shaped double-headed membranophone (seated, left), a singer and shruti peti musician (seated, center), a singer playing kai mani/jālra / taḷām cymbals (seated, right), a musician with an uḍukku variable tension hourglass drum (standing, right). Village children sit and stand to watch from the side. Adult men stand and watch from behind.
Dancer B. C. Balachandar performs an episode from the Ottan Thullal solo dance drama Kalyana Sougandhikam (“Auspicious Fragrant Lily”). Musicians are behind him: a musician playing a mṛdaṅgam, a barrel shaped double-headed membranophone (seated, left), a singer and shruti peti musician (seated, center), a singer playing kai mani/jālra / taḷām cymbals (seated, right), a musician with an uḍukku variable tension hourglass drum (standing, right). Village children begin to appear to watch. Blurry shot due to camera movement.
Dancer B. C. Balachandar performs an episode from the Ottan Thullal solo dance drama Kalyana Sougandhikam (“Auspicious Fragrant Lily”).Musicians are behind him: a musician playing a mṛdaṅgam, a barrel shaped double-headed membranophone (seated, left), a singer and shruti peti musician (seated, center), a singer playing kai mani/jālra / taḷām cymbals (seated, right), a musician with an uḍukku variable tension hourglass drum (standing, right). Village children begin to appear to watch. Blurry shot due to camera movement.
Journalist Sethu, with M. G. Shashibhooshan, field documentation officer of the Kerala State Archaeology Department, Mural Arts Center, Ettumānūr, holds sweets up high as children try to reach them, as a gift after an Ottan Thullal performance.
After listening to the A. A. Bake 1938 recording (Tefi 27.6), identified as a Parayan Thullal genre dance drama song from “Pulundhi Moksham” written by Kunjan Nambiar about an Ādivāsī couple sung by two singers, thullal musicians perform the same song for the field researchers to record on PCM. Right, seated: Thankappan Nair, lead singer. Center, standing: uḍukku variable tension hourglass drum player. Second singer using book to sing lyrics. Center: B. C. Balachandar, thullal dancer. Location: Ayamkudy village, Kottayam District, Kerala.
Dancer B. C. Balachandar performs an episode from the Ottan Thullal solo dance drama Kalyana Sougandhikam (“Auspicious Fragrant Lily”). Musicians are behind him: a musician playing a mṛdaṅgam, a barrel shaped double-headed membranophone (seated, left), a singer and shruti peti musician (seated, center), a singer playing kai mani/jālra / taḷām cymbals (seated, right), a musician with an uḍukku variable tension hourglass drum (standing, right). Blurry shot due to camera movement.
Dancer B. C. Balachandar performs an episode from the Ottan Thullal solo dance drama Kalyana Sougandhikam (“Auspicious Fragrant Lily”). Musicians are behind him: a musician playing a mṛdaṅgam, a barrel shaped double-headed membranophone (seated, left), a singer and shruti peti musician (seated, center), a singer playing kai mani/jālra / taḷām cymbals (seated, right), a musician with an uḍukku variable tension hourglass drum (standing, right). Village children sit and stand to watch from the side. Adult men stand and watch from behind.
