One of the most revered places for the traditional art forms of Kerala, the Kalamandalam is the cradle of Kathakali training in India. The renowned Malayalam poet Vallathol Narayana Menon established Kalamandalam in 1930, when Kathakali was under threat of extinction. Over the years, the academy began to offer diverse courses in Kathakali dance and music, make-up, Maddalam, Kutiyattom, Mizhavu, Mohiniyattom, Panchavadyam, Thullal etc following the ancient gurukula system of education. Short-term courses are also offered to foreign scholars.