Manavedan, a great scholar and patron of art was considered as
the creator of Krishnattam. He wrote a drama based on Krishna's life and
choreographed it into an elegant art form called the Krishnattam (the
play of Krishna). He also gave it a dance base. The script was Sanskrit
and the artists, Chakyars. It copied the costumes of Koodiyattam but improved
upon them. For certain characters, it also used masks. The Rasikas who
patronised Krishnattam and Koodiyattam were the same; the elite members
of society who had learned Sanskrit and could appreciate its literary
depths.
