The circle of Friends of New Acropolis in the city of Mumbai hosted an enriching evening titled “Kalari – The Battle Within.” Guiding us through this exploration were Axelle Defrasne Acropolitan Instructor and Kalari practitioner and Rajvardhan Kadam, Kalaripayattu Teacher, visual artist, and co-founder of the Kadambavan Foundation, an organisation dedicated to reviving Indic knowledge systems with Kalaripayattu at its core. 

 

The evening explored Kalaripayattu as more than an ancient martial art— Rajvardhan revealed it as – “a system of living life” rooted in India’s tradition. Kalaripayattu, widely regarded as one of the world’s oldest martial traditions. Far more than a system of combat, it is a living knowledge tradition that draws from and intersects with ancient Indian disciplines such as Dhanurveda (warfare and archery), Ayurveda (medicine and healing), Vastu Shastra (architecture), and the Natya Shastra (performing arts).