When yogis become warriors—the embodied spirituality of Kaḷaripayattu

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between body and spirituality in kaḷaripayattu (kaḷarippayattu), a South Indian martial art that incorporates yogic techniques in its training regimen. The paper is based on ethnographic material gathered during my fieldwork in Kerala and interviews with practitioners of kaḷaripayattu and members of the Nāyar clans. The Nāyars of Kerala created their own martial arts that were further developed in their family gymnasia (kaḷari). These kaḷaris had their own training routines, initiations and patron deities. Kaḷaris were not only training grounds, but temples consecrated with daily rituals and spiritual exercises performed in the presence of masters of the art called gurukkals. For gurukkals, the term kaḷari has a broader spectrum of meaning—it denotes the threefold system of Nāyar education: Hindu doctrines, physical training, and yogico-meditative exercises. This short article investigates selected aspects of embodied spirituality in kaḷaripayattu and argues that body in kaḷari is not only trained but also textualized and ritualized.