Indian Circus is one of the brilliant art forms in the modern era. Since the 1880s, the modern circus, as described by Philip Astley (considered the founder of the modern circus), has been appearing in India. However, from ancient times, India has seen street shows akin to circuses. Here we will discuss in detail the Indian Circus, which will be helpful for UPSC IAS Exam preparation.

Evolution of Indian Circus

• Giuseppe Chiarini's Royal Italian Circus toured India in 1879.
• Chiarini sold much of the circus equipment to Vishnupant Chatre. He founded the Great Indian Circus, a new circus company, within a year. This is India's first circus company. Vishnupant Chatre is called the Father of Indian Circus.
• The Great Bengal Circus was formed in 1887 by Priyanath Bose of Bengal, and it toured Bengal, India, and Southeast Asia.
• The Grand Malabar Circus, Kerala's first circus company, debuted in Chirakkara on February 2, 1904, under the direction of Pariyali Kannan.
• In 1909, the Great Royal Circus was planned to begin.
• Baburao Kadam established the Grand Bombay Circus in 1920.
• Other notable circuses that have been founded in India at a later date include the Gemini Circus, Rajkamal Circus, Jumbo Circus.

Keeleri Kunhikannan

• Vishnupant Chatre met Keeleri Kunhikannan on his trip to the Malabar Coast city of Tellicherry (now Thalassery).
• Keeleri Kunhikannan was a gymnastics and martial arts instructor. Keeleri began teaching acrobats at his academy at Chatre's request. He founded a circus academy at Chirakkara (Kerala) in 1901, which became the epicenter of India's circus revolution.
• One of Kunhikannan's students, Pariyali Kannan, founded his circus organization, Grand Malabar Circus, in 1904.
• Other firms founded by Kunhikannan pupils include Whiteway Circus (1922), Great Ramayan Circus (1924), The Great Lion Circus, the Eastern Circus, The Fairy Circus, and others. As a result, Kerala became known as the "Cradle of Indian Circus."
• A lot of acrobats who won national and worldwide renown came from Kunhikannan's academy. Kannan Bombayo, a ropedancer who graduated from Kunhikannan's institution in 1910, went on to work for several European and American circuses.
• M. K. Raman, Kunhikannan's disciple, carried on his legacy after his death in 1939. In 2010, the Kerala government established a Circus Academy in Thalassery in Keeleri Kunhikannan's honor. He has earned the title of "Father of Kerala Circus" with justification.

Indian Circus: A Sorry State

Due to a variety of factors, the circus business has decreased and collapsed since the late 1990s. In 1990, there were 300 Indian circuses; in 2017, there were only 30. The following are some of the causes behind India's circus industry's decline:

• Indian circuses aim to maintain their business a well-kept secret. As a result, it has become a hereditary affair, confined to a select few. This has made it difficult for skilled managers to enter the circus industry.

• According to Indian circus businesses, circus acrobatics need intense training beginning in childhood. The Supreme Court's restriction on recruiting youngsters under the age of 14 in 2011 severely curtailed the circus industry's supply pool.
• In 1997, the Indian government enacted a prohibition on the use of wild animals for entertainment, thereby ending a popular kind of performance and crowd draw.
• Circus is often seen as a perilous vocation among the Indian populace. As a result, many parents are hesitant to allow their children to pursue it as a feasible career option. In contrast to the west, this has also precluded the creation of circus dynasties.
• The younger generation has lost interest in the traditional Indian circus due to the availability of world-class gymnastics and other types of entertainment. The circus firms, too, fell short of their expectations.

Indian Circus

Possible Remedies to Rejuvenate Indian Circus

• A greater focus on safety laws and their tight enforcement would serve to improve the reputation of the circus as a professional option.
• The circus may be utilized to raise awareness of the disappearing arts among the general public. The circus's attractiveness quotient would likewise rise as a result of this.
• Protection from the government for circus artists and firms would also aid in the revival of the fading sector. By the age of 40, most artists have retired and are forced to work as menial laborers. It is necessary to provide them with security and recompense.
• Circuses are currently under the jurisdiction of the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs. It would be easier to strategize for its rebirth if it were placed under the Ministry of Culture. It would also be a recognition of the circus as a kind of art.

Conclusion

The Indian Circus Industry extends back well over a century, and similar events were held in other regions of the nation long before that. There were 300 different circuses performed in India in the 1990s. However, now, the number of circuses in India has been reduced to an amazing fraction of that, with fewer than 30 circuses across the whole country. This unfortunate predicament is not unique to India; circuses all around the world are struggling to compete with modern entertainment sectors that are significantly more accessible and transportable, owing to technology improvements.