| Olappamanna Mana | |
|---|---|
  Location within Kerala | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Kerala Architecture |
| Location | Vellinezhi,Cherpulassery,Palakkad,Kerala, India |
| Coordinates | 10°54′12″N76°20′38″E / 10.90333°N 76.34389°E /10.90333; 76.34389 |
| Owner | Deviprasadam Trust |
Olappamanna Mana is a heritage building, the ancestral home of aNambuthiri family by name,Olappammanna. The building, anEttukettu, constructed inKerala architectural style, is situated inVellinezhi, a village on the banks ofKunthipuzha River, inCherpulassery ofPalakkad district in the south Indian state ofKerala. The building is around 24 km fromOttapalam railway station and the nearest airport isCalicut International Airport which is 57 km away.
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Olappamanna Mana is the ancestral home to Olappamanna Nambuthiri family, in the village ofVellinezhi, situated on the banks ofKunthipuzha, inCherpulassery,Palakkad district, in the south Indian state ofKerala.[1] The building, anettukettu (a building with eight sections linked together by two courtyards)[2] housed in a 20-acre plot, is known have been built in 18th century and is surrounded by verdant land.[3] Some portions were added later which are also around 200 years old (as of April 2019).[4] Once a vibrant hub, Olappamanna Mana now functions as a trust, ensuring its continued vitality through hosting public events, film shoots, and performing arts classes. Established in 1990 by Sri Olappamanna Damodaran Nambudiripad to preserve the mana's rich cultural heritage, theDeviprasadam Trust oversees its operations. The place has now been converted into a home stay since 2006, managed by Olappamanna Damodaran Nambudiripad, and the facility offers cultural tourism.[4] Theprincipal photography of four Malayalam films,Aaram Thamburan,Parinayam,Aakasha Ganga andThanmathra, were done on the premises of the Mana.[5]
The Mana, which was frequented by the notedKathakali performer,Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon, assisted him in promotingKalluvazhi chitta, one of the traditions of Kathakali[6] andOlappamanna Kaliyogam, a Kathakali school which propagated the tradition, functioned from the Mana premises until it was relocated toKerala Kalamandalam byVallathol Narayana Menon, the founder of the institution.[1] Known to have promoted the cultural, literary and linguistic traditions of Kerala,[7] the Mana gave birth to a number of scholars, art connoisseurs and writers; O. M. Narayanan Nambuthiripad (1838–1902), O. M. Neelakandan Nambuthiripad (1863–1935), bothSanskrit scholars andvedic teachers, O. M. Vasudevan Nambuthirpad (1881–1926), the author ofDhruva Charitham Kathakali drama, O. M. Narayanan Nambuthiripad (1890–1944), holder ofRaobahadur title and a member of theMadras State Legislative Council, O. M. Parameshwaran Nambuthiripad (1899–1942), the publisher ofSahithi, a magazine exclusively for Malayalam poems, O. M. C. Narayanan Nambuthiripad (1910–1989), the Sanskrit scholar who translatedRig Veda into Malayalam and the author ofSnapaka Yohannan, a play for Kathakali, O. M. Subramanian Nambuthiripad (1923–2000), better known asOlappamanna, the noted Malayalam poet and a recipient of several honours includingKendra Sahitya Akademi andKerala Sahitya Akademi awards,[8]O. M. Anujan (1928–), poet, Kathakali scholar and academic,[9] Leela Nambuthiripad (1934–), better identified asSumangala, the noted writer of children's literature,[10] Eminent Psychiatrist Dr.O.N.Vasudevan (1940–2002), and Sri Olappamanna Damodaran Nambudiripad (Heritage Visionary, Patron, and Chief custodian of Olappamanna Mana) feature among the descendants of Olappamanna family.[11] It was also reported thatChembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, the notedCarnatic musician, used to teach at the Mana.[1]
A book has been written on the Mana, by N. P. Vijayakrishnan, which details the history, architecture and socio-cultural contributions of the members of the family; the book has foreword written byM. T. Vasudevan Nair, theJnanpith laureate.[12]
Mana is situated along Ambadi-Para Road, offOttapalam-Mannarkkad Road, in Vellinezhi, near Mavulliparambu Ayyappan Temple. The rail access is viaOttapalam railway station, around 14 km away andKozhikode International Airport, the nearest airport, is 57 km away from the building.[6]
