Thrissur: For the first time in its nine decade history, Kerala Kalamandalam has served non-vegetarian food to its students. Traditionally, the campus mess has provided vegetarian meals. However chicken biryani was served on Thursday, marking a significant departure from the long-standing practice. The "Freedom Chicken Biryani" from Viyyur Jail was distributed to the students in the canteen.

Despite the tradition of serving vegetarian food, there was no official ban on non-vegetarian food, as clarified by the Vice-Chancellor of Kerala Kalamandalam, Dr B Anandakrishnan. He said that previously, eggs and similar items had been provided, indicating that the mess was not strictly vegetarian. The recent decision to serve non-vegetarian food was made in response to student demands.

To facilitate this change, the university formed a mess committee that included students, ensuring that their needs were considered in the decision-making process. This move is seen as a timely update to the campus practices, reflecting the evolving preferences of the student body.

Kerala Kalamandalam, located in Kerala's Thrissur district, established in 1930, follows the traditional Gurukula system and performing art forms are taught here. This recent decision to include non-vegetarian options in the mess is perceived as another step in the institution's progressive approach. Recently the governing council decided to allow male students to learn Mohiniyattam, a classical dance form traditionally performed by women.