Sword fight, dagger fight, hand-to-hand combat, fencing — SPIC MACAY introduces City Beautiful to Kalaripayattu, the ancient martial art from Kerala

Here’s a chance to watch the oldest form of martial arts in India – Kalaripayattu. The Vallabhatta Kalari Group has arrived in Chandigarh with nine Kalari practitioners and two musicians, courtesy SPIC MACAY. They will be performing at different venues before proceeding to Himachal Pradesh during their seven-day stay.

After a brief performance for the media at Tagore Theatre on Monday morning, Vallabhatta Kalari Group headed to the Post-Graduate Government College, Sector 11 where they performed to a packed auditorium.

Rajeev, the coordinator of Vallabhatta Kalari Group, gave a quick introduction to the art form and the show started with slow yet impactful body movements by performers which he called ‘salutation of Kalaripayattu’. With musicians Baskaran and Shyamalan playing traditional instruments thagil and chenda, respectively, the hand and body movements of the performers mesmerised the audience, followed by equally impressive fight sequences — sword combat, hand-to-hand combat, dagger fight, fencing — that were received with thunderous applauses.

Each one of the group showcased a special Kalari skill. Ajith Sankar performed ‘sword on the body’ act making the sharp-edged weapon look like a piece of cloth. Another members, Gokul Krishna and Anand KP, performed stick-waving which was once again evoked a roaring applause. Baskaran and Shyamalan’s jugalbandi added intensity to the combat sequences.

Rajeev, the coordinator of Vallabhatta Kalari Group, shared that he learnt this at form from his father, who was awarded with Padma Shri in 2022. He added, “Kalari can be learnt by anyone who is seven years of age or above. The art form doesn’t differentiate any religion, caste, community, class or sex. Our group has nine artistes, the eldest is 73 years old and the youngest 17. Two musicians are also part of the group. We are visiting Chandigarh for the first time. We hope to educate and inspire local youth and citizens about this historic art form.”

Know The Art

Kalaripayattu is one of the world’s oldest martial art forms, originating in Kerala around 1,000 years ago. According to folklore, when Lord Vishnu’s sixth avatar, Parashurama, threw his axe into the Arabian Sea, a piece of land emerged, which later became Kerala. To protect this land, Parashurama taught Kalaripayattu to 21 of his disciples. It is renowned for its rigorous training and its role in the preservation of traditional combat skills and holistic wellness.

Grab A Seat

The Vallabhatta Kalari Group will perform at several prominent educational institutes, including PGGC Sector 46, Bhavan Vidyalaya, and Amity International School before moving to Himachal Pradesh (Jaypee University of Information and Technology). Also, a special performance will be held at Tagore Theatre today at 6 pm.