Kalabhavan, Kalabhavan Road, Kochi

A Legend is Born - The Story of Kalabhavan

fr-abelFr. Abel started in 1968 as Christian Arts Club in a small room in Kochi’s Broadway, with one harmonium, two fiddles, and three kids is today not only a towering presence in Kerala’s art landscape, but a significant presence in countries like Qatar, Dubai, & Oman, and now coming to more countries like Singapore.



In 1969, the very next year, Kalabhavan came into existence as the formal, organized avataar of Christian Arts Club. Against struggles of various kinds, Kalabhavan grew, and grew so fast that it required a new four-storey building by the fifth year. Now Kalabhavan has two four-storeyed buildings and one three-storeyed building. Kalabhavan enjoyed the patronage of Syro-Malabar Church’s head Cardinal Parecattil and Malayalam’s most celebrated singer KJ Yesudas in those critical years. Soon Kalabhavan also branched out from its core expertise in music, to dancing, acting, and painting classes. Later came the patronage for drama. Kalabhavan’s musical capabilities grew from strength to strength, and it is also credited with Kochi’s first large-scale musical event, with 50 artists and 60 instruments, and led by none other than Yesudas. Moving with the times, Kalabhavan also developed special skills in teaching mimicry, pop music, & cinematic dance. Today Kalabhavan does not require any publicity or testimonials, as some of the most established and succesful artists in the Malayam film & art industry are former Kalabhavan students whose success and acclaim are a confirmation of the Institute’s pedegree..





Fr. Abel - A Life as Inspiring as His Tunes

fr-abelWhat a life it was! In the Kerala Catholic Church Fr. Abel, CMI, was a towering figure, having crafted much of its liturgy, including its songs, when the liturgical language was changed to Malayalam from Syrian. But in the state’s secular world, Fr. Abel had an equally impressive life, having created this art abode, Kalabhavan, that nurtures thousands of talents every year. Fr. Abel was originally an academician, having done his doctorate in Journalism & Politics from Rome International University, and having taught at Devagiri College, Kozhikode. But nothing could silence the humming within. Looking back, Kalabhavan’s success can largely be attributed to two philosophies that Fr. Abel taught and lived. Love art and serve art lovers, without any considerations like caste, creed, rich, or poor.