Kozhikode: Veteran Kathakali exponent Guru Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair, whose portrayal of Lord Krishna and Kuchela on stage enthralled the audience, passes away at his residence nearby Cheliya in Koyilandi, Kerala early on. He was 105.

Mourning the death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Guru Chemancheri passion towards Indian culture and spirituality was legendary and he made exceptional efforts to groom upcoming talent in classical dances. "Saddened by the demise of Kathakali maestro, Guru Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair. His passion towards Indian culture and spirituality was legendary. He made exceptional efforts to groom upcoming talent in our classical dances. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. Om Shanti," Modi tweeted.

Guru Chemancheri had been honoured with the Padma Shree in 2017 in recognition of his glorious contribution to the art form. His portrayal of Lord Krishna on stage always left the audience spellbound and his last notable public performance was at the age of 100. Chemancheri Kunhiraman Nair's tryst with Kathakali, the ancient dance drama of Kerala, began at the age of 14, when he left his home to join a kathakali troupe run by Guru Karunakaran Menon. After years of practice and hard work, he founded Bharati ya Natyakalalayam in 1945, which was the first school of dance in north Kerala.

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