Karalmanna

Karalmanna is a south Indian village in the erstwhile state of Valluvanad along the banks of the Thootha, a tributary of the river Nila in Palakkad district of Kerala. It is connected to the nearby small towns of Cherpulassery and Perintalmanna (in Malappuram district) by road.

Karalmanna has given birth to several Kathakali artists, in earlier times they were supported by the ten art-patronising Namboodiri Manas (mansions of the upper-caste Namboodiri community). The Shiva temple hosts the Kathakali nights that are conducted as part of its annual ulsavam (festival).

Kottakkal Sivaraman, celebrated for his female Kathakali roles, is a native and resident of this place. Karalamanna was also the birthplace of the late actor-dancer Thekkinkattil Ramunni Nair, a disciple of Pattikkamthodi Ravunni Menon who rescripted the grammar of the Kalluvazhi style of Kathakali and refined its aesthetics. Among the Kathakali artistes of today from Karalmanna are Narippatta Narayanan Namboodiri and Sadanam Bhasi, besides Narippatta Raju, more known for his expertise in lighting theatre stages.

Karalmanna hosts several seminars and workshops on Kathakali and allied classical arts, thanks largely to the local cultural forum called Vazhenkada Kunchu Nair Memorial Trust. It has of late raised an auditorium (close to the Grameena Vayanasala or the village library) that has been venue for cultural festivals like the Kathakali Samaroham, episodes of which are still being telecast by leading Malayalam television channels Asianet and People TV on a daily basis.

Karalmanna was the native village of the late artist Athippatta Sivaraman, simply known as AS, whose illustrations in the Mathrubhumi azchchappathippu, a reputed Malayalam weekly, during the 1980s and 1990s won him wide acclaim.

Festivals

* Iyyappan villaku (Karalmanna Temple)
* Thoothakil pooram (may12/13-05-08)
* Makara Choova
* Arrattu (Karalmanna Shivashetram - 16/02/2008) Seven days' Programme
* Kali kadavu (Bhagavathi Pratistha) - 15/3/2008

Nearest places

* Cherpulassery - 3 km from East
* Thootha - 3 km from West
* Perintalmanna- 17 km from West
* Coimbatore - 102 km from East
* Ottapalam - 21 km from North
* Vellinezhi - 9 km from East

Bank

* The Cherpalacherry Co-operative Bank, Karalmana Branch