Kalari Panicker

Kalari Panicker / Kalari Kurup is an ethnic group belonging to the Hindu religion, who live in the South Malabar and central parts of the Indian state of Kerala. They were well known as the masters of Kalari tradition, having their Nalpatheeradi Kalari (a name derived from its area of 42 x 21 feet). They are the people who propagated and practiced Kalaripayattu, the martial art form of Kerala. The National Commission of Backward Classes lists Kalari Kurup or Kalari Panicker under the list of OBCs. The titles Panicker and are prevalent in several other communities in Kerala, e.g. Illathu or Kiriyathil Panicker who belong to the Nair community, and should not be confused with Kalari Panicker or Kalari Kurup. rdf:langString