ORIGIN OF KURUP AND PANICKERS IN KERALA- TULU NAMBI

ORIGIN OF KURUP AND PANICKERS IN KERALA- TULU NAMBI

Kalaris were the institutions that bore the cultural signature of kerala long ago.  Panicker/Kurup, such names were positions that were held by certain sects of people who were related with weaponry and militia that later came to be associated with caste. 

Since they used to train nair youths in kalaris that were assaigned to them, these instructors who were also the guardians of the kalaris they taught came to be called as kalari kurup/ kalari panicker. The locale of such trainers were between north of aluva puzha in olden kochi empire to the south of kora puzha located in north Malabar province.

 Whilst examining the kerala history, we can easily come to a clear conclusion that the areas that contained the kurup/panickers were the areas that bore the brunt of frequent wars and quarrels between princes. The capital of the erstwhile Chera Dynasty was also associated with these places where the kurup/panickers population were predominant. It is also an interesting point to note that the so called “ namboothiri” Brahmin dominance were also pre dominant in these areas.

 Those people who trained local nair men in kalari and warfare and also practiced and preached Astrology, Ayurveda, Kalari marmmani chikitsa, in the areas between north of aluva river and south of thrissur city were called kurup, while those trainers who did , practiced and preached the same in areas lying between south of kora puzha to thrissur city were called by the name panickers. Due to the similarity of cultures, traditions, jobs and all soceitial factors, it is to be considered that kurup and panicker were just one and same  which differed just in nomenclature due to different locales.

MYTHOLOGY OF ORIGIN , THE TULU NAMBIS

In the sangam period and in the literatures, there is a mention of kalari though it is not associated with a particular set of people or tribes. The maravars, villavars and meenavars were the warriors who were related with warfare during the sangam period as mentioned in sangam literature of akananuru and purananuru.

Inorder to control the frequent wars and quarrels arising in the northern part of the western coastal areas of india and to teach the nair youths the basics of warfare and martial arts for the purpose of developing a military base , during the period of perumals (kings who ruled kerala) , four nambis were brought from tulu nadu, who were trained in warfare and weaponries, and it was these four nambis or tulu nambis who were believed to be the forfathers of the kalari kurups and panickers, and this is the myth that is prevalent amongst these societies. The four tulu warriors who belonged to viswamitra, parasara, vasishta and kashyapa gotras were then married (panigrahana) to four women from four royal families of appatt, mangatt, oovathungal and nediyiripp and thus from them the whole of the panickers and kurups came. This is the story prevalent amongst old generation people who still sre in touch with their tradition. They were followers of patrileneal system.

And by medival times, these warrior trainers had expanded their institutions called as kalaris all over kerala. The warriors brought by perumals who trained people in kalari and warfare also practiced ayurveda, taught akshara vidya and astrology along with kalari as in those times kalari practice were done only for 3 months and for the rest of 9 months they practiced and preached the other sciences mentioned above for livelihood. Hence they were teachers and gurus in all respects, they trained the body and mind.

The tulu warriors or nambis who were brought by the perumals must have built the kalaris in kerala and taught the local peoples who were interested in martial arts and warfare, who were against the Aryan namboothiri system, and hence these tulu nambis must have been degraded in caste system by the top class Aryan namboothiris. In a Brahmin book called jathi nirnnayam there is mention about such kurups who were associated with kalaris. During sangam periods those associated with warfare were called maravars and those intellectual peoples were called arivors, arivu means knowledge. These arivors were later came to be known as kaniyan or kanisha or ganakas.

Like the other tribal societies that were prevalent amongst all sections of people there were also such societies in kurup/panicker caste also. These were called panthi parishaas. The decisions of the parishas were obeyed obeidiently by the people of kalari kurup and panickers. And symbolic of their forefathers, four men lead these parishas and their presence was important in marriages of all kurup/panicker families during that times. In those time in the panthi parishas the representatives of all kalaris sat according to the wealth and fame of their kalaris at that time. Those who were poor and infamous did not have any position in the panthi parishaas. Later four elderly people used to sit symbolizing four gurus in marriages. The decisions of panthi parishas were followed by the people until about 7 decades ago.