വെള്ളിനേഴിയിലെ ഒളപ്പമണ്ണ മന
Olappamanna Mana of Vellinezhy

വെള്ളിനേഴിയിലെ പ്രഭാതം
early morning view of vellinezhy kalagramam

വെള്ളിനേഴിയുടെ ഗ്രാമ ഭംഗി  

vellinezhy

Vellinezhi is a small but culturally crucial village located in Palakkad district of Kerala in southern India.

 The sylvan, rugged land is located on the banks of the Kunti, a slender rivulet that forms tributary to the broad, west-flowing Bharatapuzha that criss-crosses central Kerala in southern India.

The nearest small town is Cherpulassery, some seven kilometres away.The village lies about 40 km west of Palakkad town, and approximately 100 km north of Nedumbassery international airport.

It is famous for the huge number of Kathakali and traditional Kerala percussion artistes it has churned out over a period of decades and centuries

 

Kalluvazhi chita a unique form of kathakali originated here. Kalluvazhi IttiRarisssaMenon is the founder of the system.  the technical precision and aesthetic quality of which rose to great heights during the life and times of Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon the disciple of IttiRarissaMenon who polished and made the Kalluvazhi style of the art artfully elaborate. 

  

Vellinezhi is one of the 14 desams (small duchy-like territories), and is home to Olappamanna Mana, one of the centuries-old feudal Namboothiri (Kerala Brahmin) mansions Illam. Olappamanna, now a vacated abode that exists as a trust that lets its premises out for weddings and film/docu/teleserial shoots, was, in its heyday till the mid-20th century, the residence of luminaries such as the late Kunjunni Nambudiripad on whom the title of Rao Bahadur was awarded by the ruling British.And more recently, it also gave birth to the renowned scholar, the late O.M.C. Narayanan Nambudiripad (who gave a Malayalam interpretration to the Rigveda), the late poet Mahakavi Subrahmanian Nambudiripad (simply Olappamanna, his pen name) and author-scholar Dr O.M. Anujan.

locally famous temples like Sri Kanthallur Kshetram and Chenginikottu Kavu, Vellinezhi has grown in stature as the homestead of a few classical Kerala art forms.

Vellinezhi is native place of many well known atrists who were padma award winners.

Kalamandala Ramankuty Nair ( padmabhushion)

vazhengadakunchunair(padmasree)

keezhpadam kumaan nair( padmasree)

Mattannoor Sankarankuty (chenda-padmasree) 

there are many artists won kendra sangeeth nataka academy awards

 

It is his set of disciples, along with the playback musicians, percussionists, make-up (chutti), costumes (petti) artistes that he groomed who later made Vellinezhi proud.

The village, critically, has a house named Kothavil that has specialised in the craft of designing and making Kathakali costumes.

Kerala-style percussion ensembles like chenda melam, thayambaka and panchavadyam too have enriched from a flurry of artistes that Vellinezhi has produced over the years.

The village has a high school that included Kathakali teachers and allied tutors among its faculty. Vellinezhi has also been the chief locale for Vanaprastham, an acclaimed Malayalam feature film that has bagged several awards.

In fact, the house of Kunjukkutan, the protagonist in the movie (played by Mohanlal), had been the residence of the late Kathakali guru Padma Shri Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair.

Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar the musical legend performde his first concert at Kanthallur Sreekrishna Temple of Vellinezhy

Adakkaputhur Kammadi a metalic mirror is a uniqueheritage of Vellinezhy.

It is a home to more than different types of arts.Painting, drawing, sculpture, kalamezhuth, nusic, dance, pana, pootha thira, Pana are  a few vellinezhy kalagramam a unique tourism destinationamong them