Dance master Fr. Ajith Chittilappilly on stage

THRISSUR: At church, he is a disciple of God engaged in mass and prayers. On the other side, he is a dedicated folk dancer. Fr. Ajith Chittilappilly, the vicar of Madakkathara Church in Thrissur, wears many hats.

“There are many children who have learned folk dance, semi-classical dance and choreography of plays in the churches’ says Fr. Ajith Chittilappilly, when asked why he took up the role of vicar if he had such a yearning for the arts.

"My mother, who taught me action songs at the age of four, is my guiding light. When I received a lot of applause for the steps taught by my mother, I realised that dancing comes to me easily. Later, I received training from Kalalayam Subramanian and Kuttan Master."

Later came a second place in folk dance at the district school art festival. Despite the busy period brought in by academics while studying for Plus Two at St. Thomas School, Ajith Chittilappilly never missed an opportunity to get to the stage. In no time, he became a star among nurses while studying for GNM Nursing at Amala Medical College. Preparation was ongoing for higher studies in London when he happened to read the autobiography of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. The book changed his perspective on life. Ajith considers it to be a calling from God.

Many people advised him to take off his chilanga (traditional ankle bells) at the seminary. It was tough for Ajith to give up what he loved, so he continued to perform despite holding his position in the church. Folk dance and group dance were organised at Bible art festivals and other events. Bharatanatyam and folk dance were organised for Christian story occasions. Ajith received the vicar position six years ago. He is a notary at the Thrissur Aramana Church Court. Ajith is the son of Francis and Valsa, who were Ayurvedic therapists in Tirur. His sister is married.