Edakka exponent Thichur Mohanan dies

Thrissur: Eminent edakka artist Thichur Mohanan died at a private hospital here on Wednesday afternoon. He was 66. Mohanan was ailing for the last couple of months and was hospitalised a week ago.
Mohanan started his tryst with edakka at a very young age, playing the instrument at the sopanam of Thichur Ayyappa Temple while he was a primary school student.Mohanan did not have a formal guru in edakka . However, he picked up his early lessons in percussion instruments from his uncle Thichur Krishnankutty Poduval. Pudukkode Ramakrishnan Marar, Varavoor Kuttan Nair, Pokkattiri Divakara Poduval and Kalamandalam Parameshwara Marar were also among his gurus.
Mohanan has won several awards including the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy Award, the Guruvayur Thayambaka Award, and Suvarnamudras from the Thrissur Pooram, the Uthralikavu Pooram and the Thrippunithura Utsavam.
Mohanan is survived by his wife Vijayalakshmi and son Karthikeyan. tnn