Life and Culture

  Chavittunatakam, the Western-styled Indian Dance Drama – a Legacy of Portuguese in Kerala   Dr. Edward Edezhath (Edward.edezhath@gmail.com) This fascinating art form Chavittunatakam is almost four centuries old, its stories are mostly from the hoary antiquity of Europe, but its language and idiom are a mixture of centuries old styles of South India, yet this traditional dance-drama gradual path of recovery, at least in some pockets of the State of Kerala, from its long-lost glory and influence. This art form used to wield wide popularity in the coastal villages of central Kerala and is a most eloquent attestation to the joyful synthesis of cultures that took place following the entry of the Portuguese into this part of the world. Chavittunatakam is also an indication of the deep cultural inroads that the first European power could make into the Indian Psyche in a way that was never attempted or achieved by the subsequent western visitors to the subcontinent.   Lit...

  Possibilities and Challenges in Higher Education [Edezhath, Edward.  “Possibilities and Challenges in Higher Education” The Living Word. Sep – Oct. 2010, Pg282 – 291.] Higher education is receiving unprecedented attention in the developed as well as developing countries, primarily due to the newfound realization that it is closely linked to national growth, sustained development and availability of quality human resource. At all levels in the society people are trying to find out which institution or course would ensure a bright future for their youth and families as well as nations are setting apart significant amounts for higher education. There have also been on-going debates on what constitutes quality higher education and continuing efforts of benchmark institutions of higher education. In short higher education is assuming supreme importance in the contemporary world. Higher Education could refer to formal education beyond secondary level, which is also called tert...

Children’s folk games of Kerala: categorization and analysis Dr. Edward Edezhath  (Edward.edezhath@gmail.com) Abstract The present study lists 120 folk games of Kerala and categorizes them on different aspects. The games are analysed basing on their gender specificity, the place of activity, nature of participation, usage of play accessories. Further they are classified according to the four-fold division of games that Caillois proposes. Major educative and skill equipping benefits of these games are also examined under this study. Introduction Where there are children there is always some kind of play. While today’s kids limit themselves to more sophisticated types of games, those of a bygone era played more localised simple games we often refer to as folk games. A major share of the folk games of most of the cultures including that of Kerala has disappeared. This study lists a good number of those games and attempts a detailed analysis of those. Firstly, what are thes...