Martial Law
Harmony - Celebrate Age|March 2017

Oldest woman practitioner of Kalaripayattu

Chitra Ramaswamy
Martial Law

Meenakshi Raghavan, fondly called Meenakshi Gurukkal or Meenakshi Amma, is immaculately clad in a cotton sari, pallu tucked into the waist. Not a strand of jet-black hair is out of place as she prepares to take her class in the early hours of the morning.

Her warm smile gives way to a tough demeanour as she enters the Kalari arena and gets ready to pit her wits and skill against her opponents. Watching the nimble septuagenarian whirl around in the Kalari at lightning speed is nothing short of mesmerising. She has mastered the art of using swords, shields, spears, daggers, sticks and long, flexible blades called otta and uruni in this almost dancelike form of self-defence.

The ‘Iron Lady of Kerala’ has spent 68 years learning the art and teaching it and, at the age of 76, is India’s oldest woman practitioner of Kalaripayyattu, a martial art that dates back over 2,000 years. It is obvious that a lifetime of measured habits and moderation have given her energy and vitality that belie her age. Her zest for life and ready laugh are all too infectious off-field and she never misses an opportunity to joke with those around her.

Meenakshi Amma, the youngest of three siblings, had an obvious gift for dancing which her parents spotted in childhood. So they enrolled her in dance class at the age of five. Even at such a young age, her rhythm and footwork were impeccable. Her dance master, who noticed her flair, suggested that she learn Kalaripayattu to enhance her flexibility and movements. With a mixture of curiosity and trepidation, little Meenakshi accompanied her father to the Kadathanadan Kalari Sangam, a reputed martial arts class. She was awestruck with what she saw.

この記事は Harmony - Celebrate Age の March 2017 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Harmony - Celebrate Age の March 2017 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

HARMONY - CELEBRATE AGEのその他の記事すべて表示
Wrapped In Love
Harmony - Celebrate Age

Wrapped In Love

My Dadi Meenakshi Banerji was a short and tubby woman with great gumption who raised 10 citizens of the world.

time-read
1 min  |
September 2017
Sharing Her ‘Mettle'
Harmony - Celebrate Age

Sharing Her ‘Mettle'

To me, this bell metal vaarpu, which weighs about 80 kg and is at least 120 years old, is an enduring reminder of my paternal grandmother Aleyamma Abraham.

time-read
1 min  |
September 2017
Medical Overload
Harmony - Celebrate Age

Medical Overload

Your doctor may walk the talk while writing out your prescriptions but here’s the thing: make sure he hasn’t prescribed one too many. 

time-read
2 分  |
September 2017
An Act Of Faith
Harmony - Celebrate Age

An Act Of Faith

One act of kindness can save someone’s life.’

time-read
5 分  |
September 2017
Armed For Business
Harmony - Celebrate Age

Armed For Business

The sheer glory and glamour of the Olive Greens motivated me, a third-generation soldier, to join the Army. Thus I enlisted, brimming with enthusiasm, in 1984.

time-read
2 分  |
September 2017
Capture the fracture
Harmony - Celebrate Age

Capture the fracture

Fracture owing to osteoporosis can have a serious impact on a person’s health and quality of life. Dr Abhijit Y Pawar, consultant orthopaedic spine surgeon at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, speaks about the significance of timely intervention in preventing fractures

time-read
4 分  |
December 2016
Friends With Benefits!
Harmony - Celebrate Age

Friends With Benefits!

Incontinence need not interfere with life.

time-read
2 分  |
December 2017
Yellow, Yellow, Gritty Fellows!
Harmony - Celebrate Age

Yellow, Yellow, Gritty Fellows!

It was a nippy Sunday morning but nothing that would keep the rugged Delhiite away from the annual Senior Citizens’ Run supported by Harmony at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon. Not even the mood-dampening smog that had descended on the capital a week earlier could do that! So said 74 year-old Sarla Rani and her band of regulars at the run who arrived at Nehru Stadium on the morning of 19 November even before the sun did. Soon they were joined by busloads of silvers from all over Delhi, Noida and Gurugram.

time-read
3 分  |
December 2017
Magic By The Sea
Harmony - Celebrate Age

Magic By The Sea

From Lord Jagannath to oceanside beauty and green initiatives, Braja Sorensen uncovers the many layers of Puri.

time-read
6 分  |
December 2017
Indian Rhapsody
Harmony - Celebrate Age

Indian Rhapsody

In a span of two decades, Roshen Dalal has attained renown for her painstakingly researched books on history and religions in India. The Puffin History of India and The Puffin History of the World, each in two volumes, have not just received critical acclaim but are bestsellers as well. Her other books include The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths; Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide; The Vedas: An Introduction to Hinduism’s Sacred Texts and The Compact Timeline History of the World. 

time-read
5 分  |
December 2017