Kozhikode, the heart of old Malabar, holds the densest concentration of working kalaris in this directory: the Hindustan Kalari Sangam and two branches of the CVN tradition teach the northern system here, while Bhargava Kalari makes it one of the few northern cities where the southern style can also be learned. The city has a domestic airport with Gulf connections, frequent coastal trains, and enough kalaris within reach that visiting several before committing is genuinely practical. October to March is the season for hard training; the monsoon months belong to treatment.
Seven decades of training and treatment at Puthiyara, with board and lodging on site and a dedicated women's Kalaripayattu team.
The Kozhikode CVN, founded by K. Narayanan Gurukkal, known for film choreography from Thacholi Othenan to Bajirao Mastani and for its in-patient treatment ashram.
A kuzhi kalari at East Hill with resident and day students, and a steady stream of theatre artists from France, Italy and Canada on three-to-six-month stays.
The unusual case of a southern-style kalari in the north, under S. K. Rajesh Gurukkal, with a treatment practice Kozhikode knows it for.
Other cities in India
