Kalari country: a day around Vadakara

Our gurukkal began his training in Vadakara, about 50 km north of Kozhikode, and the region around it is the heartland of the northern style of kalaripayattu. If you have a free day, a trip there helps you understand where the art you are learning comes from.

Start early and take the coastal road or a morning train to Vadakara, which takes about an hour. The countryside around the town is full of small family kalaris, some still in use. Many are not open to visitors, so it is better to ask us for an introduction a week ahead. We can usually arrange for you to watch a morning class at the kalari where the gurukkal trained.

Vadakara is also the setting of the Vadakkan Pattukal, the northern ballads that tell the stories of warriors such as Thacholi Othenan and Unniyarcha. Their stories are still sung at festivals and retold in films. Some local families take visitors to sites connected with the ballads; the stories differ slightly depending on who tells them.

The Lokanarkavu temple, a short drive inland, is associated with these warriors, and on festival days kalari demonstrations are sometimes held nearby. Dress modestly, remove footwear where asked and follow the temple’s rules about photography. Have lunch in Vadakara town, where meals are simple and good, and head back by late afternoon. If you are a student, wear your training clothes under your outer clothes; occasionally, visitors are invited onto the floor.