Decline in patronage for Koodiyattam among male students obscuring artform

"It is true that the patronage for Koodiyattam among male students has been declining over the past three decades.

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It may be due to the difficulty in pursuing the art course along with academic classes. A majority of the girls arrive at Kalamandalam to learn Bharatanatyam and other classical dance forms. As there are only limited seats for these courses, they join Koodiyattam and Kathakali courses. The increasing popularity of Nangiar Koothu is also attracting girl students. But considering the poor patronage, I am concerned how many of them will be able to continue as professional artists," said U