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Gandhi Seva Sadan is aKathakali institution located in Perur village, some 12 kilometres east ofOttapalam inPalakkad district of north-centralKerala in southernIndia. It was founded in 1953 by the (late) Gandhian and freedom fighterK. Kumaran.
Having celebrated its golden jubilee, Sadanam Kathakali and Classic Arts Academy is one of the four oldest schools providing training in the classical dance-drama of Kathakali in the traditional residential (gurukula) style. The most prominent among today's Kathakali exponents from Sadanam have all had tutelage underPadma ShriKeezhpadam Kumaran Nair.
Sadanam has been listed in the official tourism sites of the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, India.[1]
Gandhi Seva Sadan also runs a teachers training institute, a senior secondary school (affiliated to theCBSE) and a computer training center under its management.
Sadanam has a tradition of inviting the greatest of gurus of Kathakali andRasa Abhinaya as its trainers. The stalwarts of yesteryear include GuruKunchu Kurup for Kathakali andKutiyattam maestro NatyacharyaMani Madhava Chakyar for Rasaabhinaya and Netraabhinaya (bothPadma Shri awardees).
Sadanam has had several prominent exponents in its faculty, the longest-serving among them includes the late Keezhpadam Kumaran Nair. The students have earlier also had training under veteran gurus like the lateThekkinkattil Ramunni Nair,Padma BhushanKalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, the lateKalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair and Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair, besides late masters like Kadathanattu Govindan Nambisan,Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan,Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup,Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval, Kalamandalam Chandra Mannadiyar,Tirur Nambissan andKalamandalam Appukutty Poduval.
Currently, Kumaran's sonSadanam K. Harikumaran is the principal of Sadanam. Kathakali master Narippatta Narayanan Namboodiri is its director. Kalanilayam Balakrishnan, Paara Narayanan Namboodiri and Kalamandalam Satheesan are among the senior instructors.
