Once again, Ponniam, a village in Northern Kerala is getting ready for the annual cultural event of “Ponnyathankam” – the World’s largest Kalaripayattu festival. The seven-day event begins on the Malayalam month of Kumbam 9 every year.
A mammoth crowd of humanity assembles to watch the breath-taking feats performed by the exponents. The significance of this heritage project could be gauged from the fact that Kerala government allocated Rs eight crores for the 16th century Ponniyathankam in the budget this year.
Kalaripayattu is the world’s oldest surviving martial art form that Kerala can boast of. It is believed to have been practiced 3000 years ago. Interestingly, the history of Kalaripayattu is closely linked to the social and cultural milieu of Kerala.
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