Moozhikkal Pankajakshi

Moozhikkal Pankajakshi is an expert in Nokkuvidya pavakali a form of puppetry. She was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2020.

Biography
Pankajakshi Moozhikkal Sivaraman popularly known as Moozhikkal Pankajakshi Amma was born on March 14, 1936, at Urulikunnath, Pala, Kottayam district. She dropped out of school midway due to financial difficulties. Pankajakshiamma started learning Nokkuvidya from her mother Paappiyamma. She who learned Nokkuvidya at the age of eleven, later used to perform it with songs written by her husband after her marriage. A Nokkuvidya Pavakali performer for over 60 years, due to old age, vision loss and memory loss, she stopped performing Nokkuvidya at the age of 72. After that she taught the folk art form to her granddaughter Renjini.

Personal life
Pankajakshi Amma married Shivarama Panicker of Monippally near Uzhavoor, Kottayam district, at the age of 20. Couple has three children, Vijayan, Radhamani and Shiva. She now lives in Monippally with her daughter Radhamani.

Awards and honors
She received several awards including Padmasri (2020), India's fourth highest civilian honour and fellowship from Kerala Folklore Academy (2012). In 2008, as part of the Kerala Tourism Festival, she performed at Paris. Apart from this Pankajakshi Amma has performed Nokuvidya in many venues in Kerala and outside Kerala.

Works on her
Reshmi Radhakrishnan’s documentary film Nokkuvidya, The life of a lone string puppeteer, screened at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, is about Nokkuvidya and it's performer Pankajakshi.