Kathakali artists from a small village on the banks of the Pampa river in this southern Kerala district have been performing stories from Hindu puranas as well as the Bible for several decades, earning the right to link the classical dance form with its name.
Ayroor village in Pathanamthitta will now be seen on the Indian map as "Ayirur Kathakali Gramam" — an indication of the prominence given to the dance style known for its elaborately colourful make-up and costumes — after an effort spanning over 12 years.
With the help of hand and facial gestures and expressions, Kathakali, which has its roots in Kerala and has been performed for more than 300 years, retells famous historical tales, mostly from Indian epics.
According to Vimal Raj, a native of the village of Ayirur, performances of biblical tales like "Abraham's sacrifice," "The Prodigal Son," and "Mary Magdalene" are also popular with the local Christian community, PTI reported.
Raj, the third generation of a family of Kathakali artists and connoisseurs, is not a performer himself, but his passion for the dance form led him to establish a District Kathakali club with some of his friends in 1995.
According to Panchayat president Ambili Prabhakaran Nair, the Grama Panchayat passed a resolution in 2010 to change the village's name to Ayroor Kathakali Gramam at the request of this club, as stated in the report.
However, the entire process took more than 12 years and was extremely time-consuming, according to Raj, who is also the club secretary.
"It is not easy to change your name. It is a time-consuming process that requires approval from both the state and federal governments. Inspection by Intelligence officials to determine whether the renaming will cause any communal issues:" Raj was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI.
There was never any such worry on our end because no one objected to the renaming, he explained.
Furthermore, the Christian community here is the largest contributor to the club's operation, he added.