Kalaripayattu

Recap Questions

? What images cross our mind when we think of Kerala? (Kathakali dancers, exotic

cuisine, rippling coconut trees, emerald backwaters, enchanting elephants,

magical monsoons and soothing ayurvedic treatments)

? How is Lord Parashuram related to Kerala? (Legend has it that Lord Parashuram,

the sixth avatar of Vishnu, flung his axe into the sea. The waters receded where

the axe landed, and ‘God’s own country’ emerged: beautiful, lush green and

dotted with coconut trees)

? In which places is Kalaripayattu practised? (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,

north-eastern Sri Lanka and among the Malayali community of Malaysia)

? Why is Kalaripayattu mainly practised? (Kalaripayattu was mostly practised to

protect the state and the king.)

? What are Kalaris?(Kalaris are schools where Gurukuls or masters teach the art.)

? What does Kalaripayattu include?(Kalaripayattu includes physical training,

armed and unarmed conflict, breath control, meditation and specific classes of

treatments. The art focuses on co-ordination between the mind and the body.)

? What happens to a warrior who has mastered verumkaithari?(A warrior who has

mastered verumkaithari need not carry any weapon, even against a group of

armed opponents. She/he has tremendous control over her/his mind. She/he

can literally paralyse anyone using the forefinger, which is called the Marmam

technique.)

? Which dance forms does Kalaripayattu influence?(Kathakali and Theyyam)