A kalari is a gymnasium or training space primarily associated with the martial art of

Kalaripayattu Kalaripayattu (; also known simply as Kalari) is an Indian martial art that originated in modern-day Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India. Kalaripayattu is known for its long-standing history within Indian martial arts, and i ...

. The word ''kalari'' comes from

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...

. In the past, village schools in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

, typically run by the traditional astrologer families, were known by the name ''kalari'' or Ezhuthu Kalari.

Kalari teachers

The teacher of a kalari is called a Gurukkal or

Asan Asan () is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It borders the Seoul Capital Area to the north. Asan has a population of approximately 300,000. Asan is known for its many hot springs and is a city of spas. Asan has grown int ...

. Teachers of Ezhuthu Kalari or Ezhuthu Palli were referred to as

or ''Ezhuthassan''.

Construction of a kalari

Traditionally, the kalari is constructed by digging a hollow in the ground, forming a sunken area four feet in depth, forty-two feet in length and twenty-one feet in breadth. This is usually called ''kuzhikalari''. Kuzhi means "portions formed by caving in the earth" in

. The entrance to the Kalari is in the east, to let in the morning sunlight, and leads into the 42-foot leg running east–west while the 21-foot leg runs north–south. Another consideration taken when constructing the kalari is that it is built in the south-west side of the main plot. The floor of the kalari is leveled using mud. In southern and central

, some kalaris were constructed in a circular form, with weapons and other instruments being placed on one end, and students sitting outside the circular arc to watch the training.

''Ankakalari'' and ''ankathattu''

Ankathattu Ankam is a Malayalam word meaning combat or battle. It may refer either to a duel or a larger scale war. In medieval Kerala, ankam served as a way to settle disputes between districts and nobles. The duellists, called Chekavar Chekavar (Also kno ...

is a 4 to 6 foot high platform constructed temporarily for the purpose of fighting duels. ''

Ankam Ankam is a Malayalam word meaning combat or battle. It may refer either to a duel or a larger scale war. In medieval Kerala, ankam served as a way to settle disputes between districts and nobles. The duellists, called Chekavar or Ankachekavar, were ...

'' means war in Malayalam. This platform is constructed as per tradition and is in the center of the ground from where people can watch the fight. The entire arrangement is called a''nkakalar''. Historically, in

, quarrels between local rulers were resolved by fixing an ''ankam'', a duel to the death, between two ''ankachekavar''s, each ruler being represented by one ''ankachekavar''. The ruler represented by the surviving ''ankachekavar'' was considered the winner.

References

{{Indian Martial Arts Kalarippayattu Hindu temple architecture