Vazhenkada | |
Settlement Type: | village |
Pushpin Label Position: | right |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Kerala, India |
Coordinates: | 10.925°N 76.2958°W |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | India |
Subdivision Type1: | State |
Subdivision Name1: | Kerala |
Subdivision Type2: | District |
Subdivision Name2: | Malappuram |
Unit Pref: | Metric |
Population Density Km2: | auto |
Demographics Type1: | Languages |
Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
Demographics1 Info1: | Malayalam, English, |
Timezone1: | IST |
Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
Postal Code: | 679357 |
Registration Plate: | KL- 10 and KL 53 |
Blank1 Name Sec1: | Coastline |
Blank1 Info Sec1: | 0km (00miles) |
Blank1 Name Sec2: | Climate |
Blank1 Info Sec2: | Tropical monsoon (Köppen) |
Blank2 Name Sec2: | Avg. summer temperature |
Blank2 Info Sec2: | 38°C |
Blank3 Name Sec2: | Avg. winter temperature |
Blank3 Info Sec2: | 18°C |
Vazhenkada is a village, known for its Kathakali heritage, on the banks of the river Thootha in Malappuram district of Kerala in southern India.[1] The nearest small towns are Cherpulassery (in Palakkad district) to its south 8 kilometres away and Perintalmanna to its north,12 kilometres away.
Vazhenkada's place on the cultural map owes largely to having been the native place of eminent Kathakali artiste, Padma Shri Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair, a frontline disciple of the legendary Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon. Kunchu Nair's son, Vazhenkada Vijayan, is a Kathakali artiste of repute, having retired from Kerala Kalamandalam, where his father too had worked as a teacher for long. Another of Kunchu Nair's son, P.V. Sreevalsan, is a Kathakali aesthete and author of a Malayalam novel called Keshabharam. Kunchu Nair lived close to the Narasimhamoorthy temple in Vazhenkada.
Other famous Kathakali artistes hailing from Vazhenkada include Kalamandalam Balaraman and Kalamandalam Krishnadas (chenda), Kottakkal Devadas (actor-dancer) and Vazhenkada Anandan (Kathakali musician), besides the late Vazhenkada Govinda Warrier (Kathakali make-up), Vazhenkada Kunjunni Nair, Kalamandalam Rajagopal, Vazhenkada Krishna Warrier and Vazhenkada Rama Warrier.
Vazhenkada village connects to other parts of India through Perinthalmanna town. National highway No.66 passes through Tirur and the northern stretch connects to Goa and Mumbai. The southern stretch connects to Cochin and Trivandrum. Highway No.966 goes to Palakkad and Coimbatore. The nearest airport is at Kozhikode. The nearest major railway station is at shornur