About Cultural  Affairs  Department

Kerala has a spectacular heritage of cultural expressions across many artforms and customs. The time - honored values lie dormant in the living traditions of these expressions. The feudal chieftains and provincial landlords who patronized these visual and devotional arts for centuries were not only encouraging them as entertainments but were also upholding their moral and ethical messages.

Vivid visual effects and stunning music are hallmarks of Kerala's performing arts. In a land, which cannot boast of monumental architectural feats, unlike many other parts of India, the performing arts, both individually and collectively, make up for the lost magnificence. No other state in India can match the grandeur and creativity of Kerala's performing arts.

The crowning jewels of Kerala's performing arts are Koodiyattam and Kathakali. Koodiyattam, the one thousand year old classical dance drama is regarded as one of the earliest traditions in theatre across the world. UNESCO has named it as a World Heritage describing it as a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage. Though Koodiyattam is the oldest, Kerala perhaps owes its transnational fame to Kathakali, the classical dance drama combining facets of ballet, opera, masque and the pantomime.
Though geographically a small strip of land, one could find in Kerala a large number of different streams of cultural heritage.

Mission and Vision   of the department
Government has made vigorous interventions in the cultural arena against cultural imperialism coming through the corridor of globalization. Destruction of human values and machinations of the market economy from the West have been destroying our sensibilities. Cheap thrillers with technical perfection have been vitiating our young minds on both the big and small screen. They play havoc on our value system. Government alone cannot resist this cultural colonization.

Against this backdrop activities of Sangeetha Nataka Academy, Lalithakala Academy, Sahithya Academy and Chalachithra Academy have been made more vigorous and people-oriented. Quality film and videos from within and abroad are beingscreened before a wider audience.

KeralaKalamandalam is being streamlined so as to become a Deemed University. Balasahithya Institute, Bhasha Institute, and Sarvavignanakosam have also started attractive programmes. Book Mark and Kerala State Film Development Corporation are on a revival mode.  

Line departments, Institutions and organizations under the department

1. Department of Archaeology
   
2. Department of Archives
3. Museums and Zoos Department
4. Centre for Heritage Studies
   
5. Directorate of Culture
   
6. Guru Gopinath Natanagramam
7. Kerala Folklore Academy
   
8. Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed University for Art and Culture
   
9. Kerala Lalithakala Akademi
   
10. Kerala Sahitya Akademi
11. Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi
    
12. Kerala State Chalachitra Academy
    
13. Kerala State Film Development Corporation
    
14. Kerala State Jawahar Balabhavan
    
15. Kerala State Institute of Children's Literature
16. Kerala State Institute of Languages, Nalanda , Thiruvananthapuram
17. Bharath Bhavan
18. Sree Narayana International Study Centre, Chempazhanthi
19. State Institute of Encyclopaedic Publications
20. Vasthuvidya Gurukulam
21. Vyloppilli Samskriti Bhavan
22. Kumaranasan National Institute of Culture, Thonnakkal
    
23. Thulu Academi at Manjeswaram
24. Margi
25. Kerala Book Marketing Society
26. Unnaiwarrier Smaraka Kala Nilayam, Iringalakuda
27. Thunchan Memorial Trust, Tirur, Malappuram