Koothambalam

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Koothambalam, also called Kuttampalam, means temple theatre or play house. It is a closed hall used for staging Koothu, Nangiar koothu, and Koodiyattam, ancient ritual arts of Kerala, India.

The hall is built according to guidelines from the Natya Shastra. The stage inside the Koothambalam is treated as sacred as the temple sanctum. It is located within the temple complex, among the temple’s courtyards (pancaprakaras), between the outer and inner walls. It is considered one of the temple’s pancaprasadas. The size of Koothambalams varies from temple to temple.

Inside, a square central platform with a pyramidal roof, called natyamandapam, stands as a separate structure within the large hall. The hall floor is split into two halves: one for performance (stage, instruments, green room, etc.) and one for the audience.

On the stage, decorations include fruit-bearing plantains, coconuts, and coconut fronds. A rice-filled para is placed on the stage, and a nilavilakku (three-branched lamp) is lit during performances. The mizhavu, a drum used to accompany Koothu, sits in a railed enclosure with a high seat for the drummer, who comes from the nampiar community.

Only men from the Chakyar community perform Koothu and Koodiyattam inside the Koothambalam. Women from the Ambalavasi-Nambiar caste (Nangyarammas) perform Nangyar Koothu and the female roles in Koodiyattam. The mizhavu is played by Ambalavasi-Nambiars.

Many temples have Koothambalams, such as Haripad Sree Subrahmanya Swamy temple, Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple in Kottayam, Sreekrishna Temple in Guruvayoor, Vadakkumnathan Temple in Thrissur, Koodalmanikyam Temple in Irinjalakkuda, Mahadeva Temple in Peruvanam (Thrissur District), Sree Mahadeva Temple in Thiruvegappura, Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathi Temple in Angadippuram (Malappuram District), Thirumuzhikkulam Lakshamana Temple near Aluva, Subramanya temple in Kidangoor, and Siva Temple in Chengannur, among others.

Kerala Kalamandalam, the government art and culture university in Cheruthuruthy, Thrissur District, has a beautiful Koothambalam. Another Koothambalam exists at Vyloppilly Samskarika Nilayam in Trivandrum, built recently outside temple premises. Both are rectangular in plan.

The design and construction follow the traditional Kerala architectural style, using shape rules and vastu from authentic texts on temple architecture.