swords, shields, and staffs. This ancient art is said to be 3,000 years old and is referenced in ancient Hindu scriptures. It is still imbued with religion in modern times. The British colonial authorities of India prohibited the practice of Kalari in 1804, but it persisted underground until the early twentieth century and after the independence in 1947.
Kalari has advanced in recent decades, owing to small efforts by Meenakshi, who earned a national award in 2017. Kalari has now been recognized as a sport and is practiced throughout India. Sanjeev Kumar, Meenakshi’s son, stood bare-chested in Meenakshi’s kalari hall and walked around with a lungi tied around his waist, taking barefoot students, involving men and women of all ages, through their paces on the ochre-red dirt floor.
The gurukkal listed the benefits of kalaripayattu. He said, “There are two divisions in kalaripayattu — one is that kalaripayattu is peace and the other is kalaripayattu in war. It’s an art that purifies mind, body and soul, improves concentration, speed and patience, and regenerates physical and mental energy. When totally connected mentally and physically to kalari, then the opponent disappears, the body becomes eyes.”
Alaka S. Kumar, the 29-year-old civil engineer and daughter of Kumar and mother of many great-grandchildren of Meenakshi, said, “It’s a form of poetry”. She added, “I am going to teach kalari, with my brother. We have to take over. Otherwise it is gone.”
