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 Kalarippayattu
is one of the oldest living traditions of
martial training in the world, with its root
in the Dhanurveda, the ancient Indian
Science of warfare. Martial training and
self-disciplining through a ritualistic and
spiritual process of learning is synthesized
in the Kalarippayattu tradition, which found
its roots in Kerala, the southern most state
of India. In Malayalam, the name
Kalarippayattu means Martial Training inside
a Kalari or arena. The word 'Kalari'
signifying the training premises is derived
from Sanskrit term 'Khaloorika' which
stands for military training ground.
History
Though exact proofs of various stages of
evolution of the Kalarippayattu tradition is
still being traced, available historical
evidences show that the form as practiced
today, evolved during the 9th
through 12th centuries A.D.
Travelogues of the 14th and 16th
century travelers to Kerala like Duarte
Barbosa and the popular 'Ballads of Northern
Malabar' describe that Kalarippayattu was an
integral part of the medieval Kerala society
as it played a vital role in the education
of the youth and the training of the
warriors. During this period when Kerala
consisted of several small feudal
principalities engaged in constant clashes,
Kalarippayattu as a highly developed martial
training and physical culture system
attained great prominence. No village was
there without a Kalari near the temple pond
run by a known master who was reverently
addressed as the 'Gurukkal'.
Traditional palm-leaf manuscripts available
on Kalarippayattu refer to the warrior sage
Parasurama as the first Guru of
Kalarippayattu. It is said that Parasurama
after retrieving the land of Kerala from the
ocean, taught this martial art to his 21
disciples in order to protect the land and
to maintain peace.
The Institution of
the Kalari
Uniqueness of the institution of the Kalari
is clearly evident in its specialized
architecture and the elaborate rituals
associated with the process of learning. The
Kalari is always built East-West in
direction about 4 feet below ground level,
closed on all sides except for a small door
on the Eastern side. A general measurement
of the Kalari is 35' length, 17.5' width and
17.5' height. This special cocoon like
architecture is greatly suited for the
tropical and humid climate of Kerala.
The Kalari is not a mere arena for martial
training but is also a temple of learning
and religious worship. The presiding deity
of the tradition is a combination of Siva
and Sakthi, symbolized in the form of a
divine shape, present in the South-West
corner of the Kalari on the seven stepped
platform for flowers called Poothara.
Other Hindu deities and the Gurupeedam,
a representative embodiment of the entire
line of past Gurus is also present in the
Kalari. To a student of Kalarippayattu, the
ritualistic and spiritual atmosphere in the
Kalari plays an important role in forming
his character and moral attitude.
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