Aromal Chekavar

Last updated

Aromal Chekavar was a warrior believed to have lived during the 16th century in the North Malabar region of present-day Kerala, India. [1] [2] He was from the Thiyyar community [1] [3] [4] and a chief of the Puthooram family [1] and was thus also known as Puthooram Veettil Aromal Chekavar. He was the elder brother of Unniyarcha and uncle of Aromalunni, who were also skilled warriors. [3] [1]

Contents

Chekavar's story is described in the Puthuram Pattukal, a group of songs in the genre of Vadakkan Pattukal, or Northern Ballads, composed in Malayalam during the 17th and 18th centuries. [3] The genre as a whole represents the sentiment of vira, or the heroic, through its depictions of "valour and sacrifice." [1]

Puthariyankam

Wedding at 'Puthooram Veedu'. Painting by Thara Sudhish depicting informal childhood marriage ceremony between Unniyarcha and Chandu Chekavar. Wedding at 'Puthooram Veedu'.jpg
Wedding at ‘Puthooram Veedu’. Painting by Thara Sudhish depicting informal childhood marriage ceremony between Unniyarcha and Chandu Chekavar.

Historian A Sreedhara Menon narrates the story of Aromal Chekavar according to the ballads. [3]

Chekavar was expert in ankam fighting, a feudal form of martial combat used to settle disputes, like his father Kannappan. [3] Unni Konar, who was in a property dispute against his brother Unni Chandrador for the estate of their uncle (the kaimal of Kurungadi), hired Aromal Chekavar to represent him in the ankam. [3] Unni Chandrador hired Aringotar, who conspired with Chandu Chekavar, the anti-hero of the story, also a practitioner of kalari and related martial arts, [5] so that Aromal Chekavar fought the battle with a faulty sword. [6] Chandu was Aromal Chekavar's cousin who resented Aromal Chekavar for opposing his marriage with Aromal's sister Unniyarcha. [3]

During the battle, Aromal Chekavar killed Aringotar but collapsed on the field from minor wounds. Chandu Chekavar killed Aromal Chekavar with the rod of his lamp (kuthuvilakku) [3] while Aromal rested with his head in Chandu's lap. [4] Before Aromal Chekavar died, he revealed Chandu's conspiracy to his family. [3] Chandu later married the daughter of Aringotar and inherited Aringotar's estate. [3]

Aromal Chekavar's death was avenged by his nephew Aromalunni Chekavar, who beheaded Chandu in an ankam. [3]

The story of Aromal Chekavar has influenced media:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalaripayattu</span> Indian martial art from Kerala

Kalaripayattu is an Indian martial art that originated in Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India during the 11th–12th century CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malayalis</span> Ethnic group

The Malayali people are a Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala & Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. They form the majority of the population in Kerala and Lakshadweep. They are predominantly native speakers of the Malayalam language, one of the eleven classical languages of India. The state of Kerala was created in 1956 through the States Reorganisation Act. Prior to that, since the 1800s existed the Kingdom of Travancore, the Kingdom of Cochin, Malabar District, and South Canara of the British India. The Malabar District was annexed by the British through the Third Mysore War (1790–92) from Tipu Sultan. Before that, the Malabar District was under various kingdoms including the Zamorins of Calicut, Kingdom of Tanur, Arakkal kingdom, Kolathunadu, Valluvanad, and Palakkad Rajas.

Mappila songs are a folklore Muslim song genre rendered to lyrics, within a melodic framework (Ishal), in Arabi Malayalam by the Mappilas of the Malabar region in Kerala, India. Mappila songs have a distinct cultural identity, while at the same time remain closely linked to the cultural practices of Kerala.

<i>Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha</i> 1989 Indian Malayalam film by Hariharan

Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, credited internationally as A Northern Story of Valor, is a subplot of Vadakkan Pattukal, a medieval ballad from North Malabar and is often regarded as a classic in Malayalam cinema. The film won four National Film Awards including Best Actor (Mammootty), Best Screenplay (Nair), Best Production Design and Best Costume Design and eight Kerala State Film Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chekavar</span> Warrior title of the Hindu Thiyya community

Chekavar were the warriors belonging to Hindu Thiyya community in Malabar of Kerala. Many Thiyya families today trace their roots to this Chekavar lineage.

Unniyarcha is a legendary warrior and heroine from the 16th century, mentioned in the Vadakkan Pattukal, a set of historical ballads from northern Kerala, a state in southwestern India. She was a member of a Thiyyar community family called Puthooram Veed in Kadathanad. Her father's name was Kannappa Chekavar. She is believed to have lived in the northern part of Kerala during the 16th century. She is a popular character in Kerala's folklore and is remembered for her valour and skills in Kerala's native martial art, Kalaripayattu. According to legend, Unniyarcha was mostly known for her deadly skill with the whip-like urumi, a unique type of sword that originates from Kerala. Like most traditional Kalaripayattu practitioners, she began training at the kalari at the age of seven.

Vadakkan Pattukal are a collection of Malayalam ballads from the medieval period. The genre as a whole represents the sentiment of vira, or the heroic, through its depictions of "valour and sacrifice."

Palattu Koman is a 1962 Indian Malayalam-language swashbuckler film directed and produced by Kunchacko. Based on Komappan, a 1912 poem by Kundoor Narayana Menon, the film tells the story of Palattu Koman, a folk hero and skilled kalaripayattu warrior from the ballads of North Malabar. The film was produced by Udaya Studios through their company, Excel Productions. It stars Sathyan, Ragini, and Sree Ramani. The film's songs were composed by M. S. Baburaj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunchacko</span> Indian film director

Maliampurackal Chacko Kunchacko was an Indian film producer and director who worked in the Malayalam film industry. His venture Udaya Studios influenced the gradual shift of Malayalam film industry from its original base of Madras, Tamil Nadu to Kerala. He is the producer of Jeevithanauka (1951), starring Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair.

Thacholi Chandu was a warrior and a legendary hero who is believed to have lived during 17 th century in North Malabar region of Kerala, India. He belonged to the Thacholi family of Nair community. Chandu was married to Thayattu Madathu Mattu Kutti. He is praised about in Vadakkan Pattukal. He is the nephew of legendary Thacholi Othenan.

<i>Unniyarcha</i> (film) 1961 Indian film

Unniyarcha ഉണ്ണിയാർച്ച is a 1961 Indian Malayalam-language action film, produced and directed by Kunchacko. The film stars Ragini, Prem Nazir, Sathyan, Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair and Hari. Based on the life of warrior of the same name mentioned in Vadakkan Pattukal, it was released on 24 August 1961 and became a success. and this movie has a sequel named "Aromalunni". 1972 released.

<i>Aromalunni</i> 1972 film by Kunchacko

Aromalunni ആരോമലുണ്ണി is a 1972 Indian Malayalam-language film directed and produced by Kunchacko, based on Vadakkan Pattukal, a collection of Northern Ballads of medieval origin. The film stars Prem Nazir, Vijayasree, Ravichandran and Sheela in the lead roles. The film has musical score by G. Devarajan and it is a sequel to the 1961 film Unniyarcha. The film was a commercial success.

Thumbolarcha is a 1974 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed and produced by Kunchacko. The film stars Prem Nazir, Sheela, Srividya and Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair. The film has musical score and songs composed by G. Devarajan. An interesting fact about this movie was, Sheela charged more money than the lead hero, which was quite unusual back in the day, and even today.

<i>Puthooramputhri Unniyarcha</i> 2002 Indian film

Puthooramputhri Unniyarcha is a 2002 Indian Malayalam-language historical film directed by P. G. Viswambharan. Based on Vadakkanpattu, the folklore of North Malabar, which are ballads extolling the brave and valiant chekavars, it stars Vani Viswanath, Kunchacko Boban, Devan, Siddique and Captain Raju in major roles. Jagadeesh, Mala Aravindan, Jayakrishnan, Naveen Arakkal, Anoop, Sreehari, Manya, Manka Mahesh, Spadikam George and Mamukkoya form the supporting cast. This is the last film of P. G. Viswambharan.

Chandu Chekavar, was a sixteenth-century chekavar of the Chekavar family from Kerala folklore, mentioned in the folk songs of Northern Kerala called Vadakkan Pattukal.

<i>Veeram</i> (2016 film) Indian historical drama film by Jayaraj

Veeram (transl. Valour) is a 2016 Indian historical drama film written and directed by Jayaraj. It is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, and is the fifth installment in Jayaraj's Navarasa series. The film, which also takes inspirations from the Vadakkan Pattukal of North Malabar region in Kerala tells the story of Chandu Chekavar, an infamous warrior in the 13th century North Malabar.

Kadhirur Gurukkal, also known as Mathiloor Gurukkal, was a martial artist of medieval India. He came from Kadirur, near to Thalasserry in the North Malabar region of present-day Kerala. He operated the Mathiloor Kalari, where Thacholi Othenan trained in Kalaripayattu.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Nair, K. Ramachandran (1997). "Medieval Malayalam Literature". In Paniker, K. Ayyappa (ed.). Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and Selections. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. pp. 315–316. ISBN   9788126003655 . Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  2. ↑ Nisha, P. R. (12 June 2020). Jumbos and Jumping Devils: A Social History of Indian Circus. ISBN   9780190992071.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Menon, A. Sreedhara (4 March 2011). Kerala History and its Makers. D C Books. pp. 82–86. ISBN   978-81-264-3782-5 . Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  4. 1 2 കാവാലം നാരായണ പണിക്കർ (1991). floklore of kerala-India. National books,kollam. p. 108. ISBN   9788123725932 . Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  5. ↑ Zarrilli, Phillip B. (January 9, 1998). When the Body Becomes All Eyes: Paradigms, Discourses, and Practices of Power in Kalarippayattu, a South Indian Martial Art. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-563940-7 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Pushpa Kurup (2021). Power Women A journey into Hindu Mythology. Bloomsbury. p. 15. ISBN   9789354350764.
  7. ↑ Chathoth, Vidya (October 17, 2016). Reel to Real: The mind, through the lens of Malayalam cinema. Notion Press. ISBN   9781946129529 – via Google Books.
  8. ↑ McCarthy, Grace (July 27, 2021). Shakespearean Drama, Disability, and the Filmic Stare. Routledge. ISBN   9781000416824 – via Google Books.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.