Kothachira

Kothachira is a village in central Kerala, southern India. The village is located on the border of Thrissur and Palakkad districts and is also known as Kothara.

Kothachira is connected by road to the nearest towns of Pattambi and Kunnamkulam and has a Chirakkal Vishnu temple.

Kothachira has been a center of traditional performing arts -- especially Kathakali, the four-century-old classical dance-drama, and Panchavadyam.Kalamandalam Gopi, one of Kathakali's all-time great actor-dancers, is from Kothachira. Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan, who revolutionalised the singing style for Kathakali in the second half of the 20th century, is also from this village. It is the birthplace of Panchavadyam master in elathalam, Sekharan Nair, and the Kathakali artiste Kalamandalam Balasubramanian. The late Kathakali scholar Krishna Varrier and the Kathakali musician Kalamandalam Raveendran were from Kothachira. The following persons were well known in the area during AD 1930 to AD 2000:- Kodavanparambil Malappurath Ittiri, Kodavanparambil Malappurath Kunjikrishnan, Kodavanparambil Achuthan who was Panchayath member for long period. Kodavanparambil Balan Vaidyar who was very well known ayurvedic medical practisioner. Shri. Kattekkan Parambil Thami was one of the well known agriculturist from the backward community of Kothachira. His son Shri. Manikantan was the first Computer Engineer of the area and his son Mr. Subramanian was Manager of Canara Bank. Kodavanparambil Sankaran was one of the largest agriculturist of the area during 20th century.

The village has mansions of Nampoodiri Illams, Kothara Mana being the central one. It provided a venue for several art forms -- classical, ritual and folk. Among them used to be Ayyappan Thiyyattu, traditionally performed by a Thiyyadi Nambiar family from the nearby village of Perumpilavu.

K P Vahajudeen, a very famous football player who has played for Kerala State, is from Kothachira.

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