Guruttara
Encyclopedia
Guruttara is a Malayalam word for the place designated for a lamp to be kept burning in reverence to all the guru
(masters) of the kalari
. There will be always a guruttara inside a kalari where kalaripayat is practiced.
(master) or a senior student, and directed to place his right foot first across the threshold. The student touches the ground with the right hand and then his forehead, as a sign of respect. He is then led to the guruttara to repeat his act of worship. He then offers some money in folded betel leaves as dakshina (tuition fee) for the master and bows and prostrates himself before this person, touching his legs, as a sign of respect. The guru then places his hands on the pupil’s head, blessing him. This ritual of touching the ground, the puttara
, the guruttara, and the guru’s feet, is to be repeated every day. It symbolizes a complete acceptance of the kalari deities, the master, and the rules and discipline of the art.
Gurukkal, Kalarippayattu
Gurukkal is a term used in the Malayalam language which means guru or teacher. Masters or teachers of yoga and kalaripayat are usually referred to as Gurukkal. In kalaripayat the master is also called a "Kalari Gurukkal"...
(masters) of the kalari
Kalari
The word Kalari means battle ground in Tamil and translates as "threshing floor" or "battlefield" in Malayalam. Training for Kalarippayattu, a martial art of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is traditionally done inside the Kalari....
. There will be always a guruttara inside a kalari where kalaripayat is practiced.
Initiation ceremony
At the age of seven, on an auspicious day or on the opening day of the new session, a novice is admitted to the kalari in the presence of the gurukkalGurukkal
See different meaning for the word Gurukkal.*Gurukkal Brahmins - A sub-sect of Vadamas not recognized as one amongst them and whose duties are to worship at Temples....
(master) or a senior student, and directed to place his right foot first across the threshold. The student touches the ground with the right hand and then his forehead, as a sign of respect. He is then led to the guruttara to repeat his act of worship. He then offers some money in folded betel leaves as dakshina (tuition fee) for the master and bows and prostrates himself before this person, touching his legs, as a sign of respect. The guru then places his hands on the pupil’s head, blessing him. This ritual of touching the ground, the puttara
Puttara
Puttara is a Malayalam word for a platform where flowers are kept. It is a seven-tired platform and located in the south-west corner of every kalari. Here is where the guardian deity is located. Flowers, incense and water is given to the deity every day. Before each person starts practicing, they...
, the guruttara, and the guru’s feet, is to be repeated every day. It symbolizes a complete acceptance of the kalari deities, the master, and the rules and discipline of the art.