Modernisation and Loss of Gurukulam System in Kuchipudi

The gurukulam system was a system of education, found in India since Ancient times. Here the student (shishya), would go on to live with their teacher (guru), coexisting in a relationship where the guru would pass on all his academic knowledge to his shishyas. This system also served to preserve the many art forms of India, mainly classical dances such as Kuchipudi. This system has carried the tales of the yesteryears into the coming generations, maintaining the flow of steps and rhythms, along with the songs that one’s predecessors had once performed to.

Kuchipudi originated in the village of Kuchipudi, Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. In the village, these gurus taught the dance through the gurukulam system, where shishyas dedicated their lives to learning the essence of the art. The saint poet and teacher Siddhendra Yogi established this system and trained groups of such artists. People called these performers Bhagavatulu, and their training focused on dance, music, acting, and the mastery of Sanskrit and Telugu literature. Therefore, students who joined the gurukulam had to show deep devotion and a strong sense of cultural responsibility towards their art form. In those days, they treated dance as a full time pursuit and a purpose for living.

The ancient gurukulam system still exists in this village. However, in other places, teachers no longer follow the gurukulam system, even though they commonly use the term when imparting knowledge of Kuchipudi to students. In current times, maintaining gurukulams has become difficult. Students now prioritize their academic education and often treat classical dance as a hobby rather than a path they wish to pursue seriously. Although teachers are skilled in the art form, they see it primarily as a source of income. At the same time, many talented and passionate students cannot pursue their preferred artform because they lack the financial resources. As a result, the gurukulam system loses its true essence. The greatest challenge of all is finding proper guidance from teachers. In villages such as Kuchipudi, children traditionally begin learning their ancestral dance from a young age.

However, children who start learning in urban areas in other parts of India often receive their training in fragments. In the past, institutions offered established courses for Kuchipudi mostly in the state of Andhra Pradesh, as the Sangeet Natak Akademi recognized it as a classical dance only recently, in 2008. As a result, students struggled to access established and structured courses for Kuchipudi, similar to those available for dance forms such as Kathak or Bharatanatyam. Due to this, many people turned towards other dance forms instead. However, the loss of the gurukulam system has created a flaw in the tradition itself. Teachers struggle to find students who are willing to devote themselves fully to the art, while students struggle to find the time to immerse themselves in the art form. In this way, we are slowly losing an ancient system of teaching—and along with it, the art forms that have remained such an integral part of our heritage.