Aromal Chekavar

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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]

Apart from his sister Unniyarcha, Aromal also had a brother named Unnikannan. [7] His wives were Kunjunnuli and Thumpolarcha of the Mikavil Satteri family. [7] His son Kannapanunni was born to Kunjunnuli, and it is said he also had another son by Thumbolarcha as well. [7]

The story of Aromal Chekavar has influenced media:

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. 1 2 3 Nair, K.Kannan (1902). "The Matrimonial Customs of Nairs". Malabar Quarterly Review . 5 (4): 273.
  8. ↑ Chathoth, Vidya (October 17, 2016). Reel to Real: The mind, through the lens of Malayalam cinema. Notion Press. ISBN   9781946129529 – via Google Books.
  9. ↑ McCarthy, Grace (July 27, 2021). Shakespearean Drama, Disability, and the Filmic Stare. Routledge. ISBN   9781000416824 – via Google Books.
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