Kadammanitta Vasudevan Pillai
Encyclopedia
Prof. Kadammanitta Vasudevan Pillai, is a Padayani
Padayani
Padayani, also called Padeni, is a traditional folk dance from the central portion of the Indian state of Kerala. A ceremonial dance involving masks, it is an ancient ritual performed in Bhagavati temples...

 exponent from Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. He is the former Vice Chairman of the Kerala Folklore Academy.

Early and professional life

Vasudevan Pillai was born as the elder son to M. Ramakrishnan Nair (late) and Parukutty Amma (late), at a small village called Kadammanitta
Kadammanitta
Kadammanitta is a village in Pathanamthitta District and is famous for its Kadammanitta Devi Temple. Its located at a distance of 6 km from Pathanamthitta. The Annual temple Festival is held in the month of May/June. The Ten Day long Padayani Performances conducted as part of the Festival...

 in Pathanamthitta district
Pathanamthitta district
Pathanamthitta district is the youngest district located in the southern part of the state of Kerala, India. The district headquarters is in Pathanamthitta town. The district is surrounded by Kottayam, Idukki, Alappuzha and Kollam districts. It has a border with the state of Tamil Nadu in the east...

 Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 in 1946. His only sister is Omana Kumariamma, 10 years younger to him. From childhood itself, he was interested in Padayani
Padayani
Padayani, also called Padeni, is a traditional folk dance from the central portion of the Indian state of Kerala. A ceremonial dance involving masks, it is an ancient ritual performed in Bhagavati temples...

 and Kerala folklore. He completed his pre-school and graduated from the Government College in Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...

. He did his MSc
MSC
- Computers:* Mario Strikers Charged* Microsoft Common Console Document, file for the Microsoft Management Console* Microelectronics Support Centre* Microsoft Corporation* MIDI Show Control* Message Sequence Chart...

 in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

 from Bhopal and was the first rank holder. He completed his Post Graduation with Gold medal. He later came back to Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 and joined as lecturer in Mathematics in various colleges in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

. He worked in NSS College, Pandalam
Pandalam
Pandalam is one among the fastest growing towns in Kerala, India. Known far and wide for its legendary connection with Lord Ayyappa and Sabarimala, Pandalam is considered to be a holy town...

 for most of the time, till his retirement as Head of Department in 2005.

As Padayani exponent and writer

Vasudevan Pillai has contributed greatly to the field of Kerala folklore. He has written a number of books on Padayani
Padayani
Padayani, also called Padeni, is a traditional folk dance from the central portion of the Indian state of Kerala. A ceremonial dance involving masks, it is an ancient ritual performed in Bhagavati temples...

 and other traditional art forms. He is the recipient of many State Awards for his literary and cultural contributions. His bond with villages can be seen clearly in his works. his association with the great poet of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

 Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan
Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan
Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan , popularly known as Kadammanitta, was an Indian poet. He was born in Kadammanitta province of Pathanamthitta district, Kerala. His childhood experiences, especially the Patayani songs, imparted strong influence in his literary work...

 led to many valuable literary contributions.

The youth of Kadammanitta
Kadammanitta
Kadammanitta is a village in Pathanamthitta District and is famous for its Kadammanitta Devi Temple. Its located at a distance of 6 km from Pathanamthitta. The Annual temple Festival is held in the month of May/June. The Ten Day long Padayani Performances conducted as part of the Festival...

, under the leadership of Vasudevan Pillai, had formed Kadammanitta Gothra Kala Kalari through which this art form has been taught to many and is being passed over to generations.

Personal life

He currently lives in Kadammanitta. He is married to Omana Kumariamma and is father of three - Kadammanitta Manu (Mrudangam Artist), Kadammanitta Anu (Singer) and Lakshmi (Violin Artist). His company with Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan
Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan
Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan , popularly known as Kadammanitta, was an Indian poet. He was born in Kadammanitta province of Pathanamthitta district, Kerala. His childhood experiences, especially the Patayani songs, imparted strong influence in his literary work...

had led to the rise of many literary contributions.

External links

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