Moozhikkal Pankajakshi

Moozhikkal Pankajakshi is an expert in Nokkuvidya pavakali a form of puppetry. She was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2020.[2][3][4]

Moozhikkal Pankajakshi
Born (1936-03-14) 14 March 1936 (age 88)[1]
Urulikunnath, Pala, Kerala, India
OccupationNokkuvidya pavakali performer
Known forNokkuvidya pavakali
SpouseShivarama Panicker
AwardsPadma Shri

Biography

edit

Pankajakshi Moozhikkal Sivaraman popularly known as Moozhikkal Pankajakshi Amma was born on March 14, 1936, at Urulikunnath, Pala, Kottayam district.[5][1] She dropped out of school midway due to financial difficulties.[1] Pankajakshiamma started learning Nokkuvidya from her mother Paappiyamma.[1] She who learned Nokkuvidya at the age of eleven, later used to perform it with songs written by her husband after her marriage.[6] A Nokkuvidya Pavakali performer for over 60 years, due to old age, vision loss and memory loss, she stopped performing Nokkuvidya at the age of 72.[7] After that she taught the folk art form to her granddaughter Renjini.[7]

Personal life

edit

Pankajakshi Amma married Shivarama Panicker of Monippally near Uzhavoor, Kottayam district, at the age of 20.[5][8] Couple has three children, Vijayan, Radhamani and Shiva.[5] She now lives in Monippally with her daughter Radhamani.[5]

Awards and honors

edit

She received several awards including Padmasri (2020), India's fourth highest civilian honour and fellowship from Kerala Folklore Academy (2012).[6][9] In 2008, as part of the Kerala Tourism Festival, she performed at Paris.[1] Apart from this Pankajakshi Amma has performed Nokuvidya in many venues in Kerala and outside Kerala.[10]

Works on her

edit

Reshmi Radhakrishnan’s documentary film Nokkuvidya, The life of a lone string puppeteer, screened at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, is about Nokkuvidya and it's performer Pankajakshi.[7]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e "Smt. Pankajakshi MS" (PDF). Government of India.
  2. ^ "Puppetry still means the world to muthassi at 84'". Deepika Jayaram. The Times of India. 23 February 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Padma Shri Honour For Last Practitioner Of Kerala's Traditional Puppetry". Sanya Jain. NDTV. 30 January 2000. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  4. ^ "'Nokku Vidya Paavakali is grandma's life'". The Times of India. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Thayabji, Roopa. "'11 വയസ്സ് മുതൽ നോക്കുവിദ്യ പാവകളി പഠിച്ചുതുടങ്ങി; മച്ചിങ്ങ വീണ് മുഖത്ത് ചതവും ഈർക്കിലി കുത്തിക്കയറലും അന്ന് പതിവാണ്'; പത്മശ്രീയേക്കാൾ തിളക്കത്തോടെ പങ്കജാക്ഷിയമ്മ! | Padmasree award winner". vanitha.in (in Malayalam). Vanitha. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  6. ^ a b "പദ്‌മശ്രീയിലെ പെൺതിളക്കം-മൂഴിക്കൽ പങ്കജാക്ഷി". Kerala Women (in Malayalam). 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  7. ^ a b c "This Malayalam documentary is about a little-known puppetry form performed by women". The News Minute. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  8. ^ Barua, Ananya (2021-06-18). "The Fate of a Rare Dying Art Rests on The Lips of This 20-YO Kerala Girl". The Better India. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  9. ^ "നോക്കുവിദ്യാ പാവകളിയുടെ കലാവൈഭവത്തിന് പത്മശ്രീ പുരസ്‌കാരം". Mathrubhumi. 2020-01-25. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  10. ^ "മൂഴിക്കല്‍ വീട്ടിലെ പത്മശ്രീ". Janmabhumi. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 2023-04-10.