UNNIYARCHA Dear friends,
Yesterday in the posting about Lokanarkavu temple, I forgot to addinformation about one large and one small pond near Loknarkavu temple. The large pond is250 meters away and small pond is close to temples. Even today children takedips in the smaller pond which is near the Vishnu temple. In the successful Malayalam film “Vadakkan veeragatha” acted by Mammooty andMadhavi it is this small pond is shown where legendary female warriorUnniyarcha taking bath and worshipping in the temple. I thought my posting today can be about Unniyarcha. The information is compiled. Gopalakrishnan 4-6-2025 Unniyarcha is a legendary female warrior from Kerala, India,known for her skill in Kalaripayattu, a traditional South Indian martial art.She is believed to have lived in the 16th century and is considered a symbol ofempowered, independent women. Key aspects ofUnniyarcha's history: Believed to have lived in the 16th century: Unniyarcha is generally believed to have lived in the 16thcentury in the Kadathanadu region of Kerala. Daughter of a renowned Kalari Master: She was the daughter of Kannappa Chekavar, a respectedKalaripayattu master, and grew up training alongside her brothers and cousin. Expert in Kalaripayattu: Unniyarcha was known for her expertise in wielding the urumi(a flexible sword) and other Kalaripayattu techniques. Symbol of empowered women: She is celebrated for her bravery, strength, andindependence, becoming a symbol of female empowerment in Kerala's folklore. Mentioned in Vadakkan Pattukal: Unniyarcha's story is preserved in the Vadakkan Pattukal,which are folk songs and balladsfrom northern Kerala. Unniyarcha's story is often retold in various art forms,including dance performances and film adaptations. She continues to be apopular figure in Kerala, inspiring and representing the strength andindependence of women. She married AttummanammelKunhiraman, and had two sons Aromalunni andKannapannunni. Unniyarcha, died of old age. Detailed information Unniyarcha is a legendary warrior and heroine from the 16thcentury, mentioned in the Vadakkan Pattukal, a set of historical ballads fromnorthern Kerala. She was a member of a Thiyyar community family called Puthooram Veed in Kadathanad.The location of Puthooram Veed is described in the Vadakkan Pattukal asfollows: Puthoorampaadam (large paddy field under Puthooram Veed) is situatedat the eastern end of Kadathanadu(present-day Vadakara). Ilavanoor Madam is located at the western end ofPuthoorampaadam, and within Ilavanoor Madam lies Puthooram Veed. Unniyarcha's father's namewas Kannappa Chekavar She is a popularcharacter in Kerala's folklore and is remembered for her valor and skills inKerala's native martial art, Kalaripayattu. According to legend, Unniyarcha was mostlyknown for her deadly skill with the whip-like urumi, a unique type of sword that originatesfrom Kerala. Like most traditional Kalaripayattu practitioners, she begantraining at the kalari at the age of seven. There are so many such instances in Vatakkan Pattukal wherethe warrior heroes or heroines of the stories would win or lose in some of the famous duels ofKalaripayattu. Among these instances, the fight between Unniyarchaand several men with an urumi (specially used for Kalarippayattu) to safeguardherself and her husband from a planned attack by some thieves is very popular. Biography Unniyarcha was from the famous Puthooram Veedu of Kadathanad(Vadakara), a region in northern present-day Kerala. Kunjiraman had a kalari known as Puthussery Kalari,which is said to remain in the Kannur district of Kerala to this day. Legendhas it that Unniyarcha won 64 kalari ankam in her youth. She was the sister of AromalChekavar and Unnikannan. Unniyarcha rejected the romantic advances of Chandu Chekavar(also known as Chanthu Chekavar), which led to the murder of her brotherAromal. Aromalunni, the son of Unniyarcha, later took revenge against Chanthuto avenge his uncle. My note- In the film Vadakkan VeeraGatha Chandu is depicted as chathikkathachandu(Never betraying Chandu). Aromal was not killed by Chandu. Nadapuram fight According to historian A. Sreedhara Menon, Unniyarchamastered the technique of warfare in childhood by undergoing a rigorous courseof training in the kalari. She married Attummanammel Kunhiraman, and a daylater, Unniyarcha set outfrom home to see the Kootthu in Allimalarkavu, the Vilakku in Ayyappankavu andthe Velapuram in Anjanakavu (the version in the ballads). As the Mappilas (Jonakas) in the bazaar on her journey were amuch dreaded lot, her husband and relatives did not approve of that. In spite of this, she wasdetermined to go for these festivals. Her husband Kunhiraman had noother alternative but to accompany her. As expected, she waswaylaid at Nadapuram by the mappilas. Though Kunhiraman was in jitters, Unniyarcha showed hermettle by facing her adversaries almost single-handed. The headman of the chanakas(Yavanas), who happened to see her on the way, was enamoured of her beauty andsent his men to carry her away by force. Unniyarcha drew her swordand then proceeded to kill some of them. The rest fled and brought the headman himself to the scene,who soon discovered that she was the sister of his fencing master. He appealed to both thebrother and sister to pardon him, but Unniyarcha was inexorable and challengedhim and his men to a fight. The leader tried to do hisbest to pacify her,but she would not pardon him without a categorical assurance that women wouldbe allowed to walk along that way without any fear of molestation. Not even theintercession of the wife of the ruling chieftain and the influential Chetti(Chekavar’s friend) would be able to win her over. At last, Aromal Chekavar himself appeared on the scene. Only after the leader made a tendered wholesome apology andoffered all kinds of gifts did she calm down and make peace with heradversaries. The chief persuaded the girl to sheath her sword, which she did on the headman’s promise that nowoman of the place would be molested in the future. In popular culture The legend of Unniyarcha has been made into films such as: Unniyarcha (1961), Aromalunni (1972), Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha(1989), Puthooramputhri Unniyarcha (2002) A television serial titled Unniyarcha was broadcast onAsianet in (2006). Unnitharcha was the nieceof Othenan whereas Unniarcha was the daughter of Kannappa chekavar.Othenan used to worship Lokanarkavil amma daily afterbath. Chandu chevakar The Unniyarcha and Chandu Chekavar legend is a famousfolktale from North Malabar, Kerala centered around the warrior Unniyarcha andthe warrior Chandu Chekavar. The story revolves around Unniyarcha's rejectionof Chandu's romantic advances, leading to the tragic murder of her brother,Aromal Chekavar, by Chandu. In earlier childhood marriage, Unniyarcha was married to Chandu. Chandu Chekavar: A warrior from the Chekavar lineage, a group of warriorsbelonging to the Thiyya community. He was known for his martial prowess and hisrivalry with Aromal Chekavar, Unniyarcha's brother. The Tragedy: Unniyarcha rejectedChandu's love, and in retaliation, he killed her brother, Aromal Chekavar. This event triggered a series ofconflicts and revenge, shaping the narrative of the legend. Folklore and Literature: The story of Unniyarcha and Chandu Chekavar is prominentlyfeatured in the Vadakkan Pattukal, or northern ballads, of Kerala. Theseballads are oral traditions passed down through generations and are rich infolklore and cultural significance. Popular Culture: The characters of Unniyarcha and Chandu have been depicted invarious Malayalam films and other forms of popular culture, solidifying theirplace in the collective consciousness of Kerala. Key Themes: The legend explores themesof love, betrayal, revenge, and the clash between different communities. It also highlights the strength andindependence of female warriors like Unniyarcha. Chandu's ComplexCharacter: While often portrayed as a villain, the legend also delvesinto Chandu's motivations and complex personality, showing him as a proud but insecure warrior. Film Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha(A Northern Story of Valor) Directed by Hariharan Written by Late M.T. Vasudevan Nair Produced by P. V.Gangadharan Starring -Mammootty,SureshGopi, Late Balan K. Nair Late Captain Raju, Maadhavi Music by Bombay Ravi Grihalakshmi Productions Release date -14 April1989 Language Malayalam Box office ₹ 1.53 crores Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha credited internationally as ANorthern Story of Valor, is a subplot of Vadakkan Pattukal, a medieval balladfrom 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 (P.Krishnamoorthy) and eight Kerala State Film Awards. The film tells the story in a different way, where thecharacter of Chanthu is a good man in the movie, while the original balladdepicts him as a cheater. The film had a re-release in theaters on 7 February2025. Plot The film is set in 16th-century northern Kerala. The plot unfoldsat Puthooram, the house of the great Kannappan Chekavar. The chekavar clanprovide martial services to their lords by training and providing fighters tohelp settle feudal disputes through trial by combat. Kannappan Chekavar adopts the son of his estrangedsister when the boy loses both his parents and brings him to Puthooram to liveand learn with his cousins. The orphan boy, Chandu, a quick learner, earns thelove and admiration of his uncle, while he is loathed by his cousin Aromal. As they grow up, Chandu isbetrothed to Chekavar's daughter, Unniyarcha. Chandu is constantly mocked and made to feel like anoutsider by the jealous Aromal. He even ends his sister's budding romance with Chandu by marrying her offto his unmanly but better-off friend Kunjiraman. The lack of protest onUnniyarcha's part breaks Chandu's heart. He attempts to move on by proposing to Kunjinooli, anothergirl who professed her love for him. Aromal preempts his proposal by breakingoff his own bethrotal and proposing to Kunjinooli himself. Disappointed, Chandu leaves to study Kalaripayattu under the tutelageof Tulunadan expert and master Chekavar, Aringodar. On Aromal's wedding day, Unniyarcha invites Chandu to herroom. When Kunjiraman unexpectedly arrives and finds them alone together,Unniyarcha convinces her husband that Chandu broke into her room by pretendingto be him. A dejected Chandu, now with the reputation of being awomaniser, finds solace in Kunji, Aringodar's daughter. Feudal lord Unnichandror arrives at the footsteps ofAringodar and asks him to represent his cause in an angam (duel unto death)against his brother Unnikonar. Unnikonar, in turn, asks Aromal to representhim. Chandu is caughtin a dilemma when his uncle requests him to play the second hand to Aromal inthe angam against his teacher Aringodar. Unniyarcha approaches Chandu and offers to live with him ifhe helps Aromal win. Chandu is tempted anddecides to second Aromal.He takes on the task of revitalising Aromal's swords by giving them fortreatment to a blacksmith. However, Kunji, Aringodar's daughter, bribes theblacksmith to make them brittle. On the day of the duel, Aromal, though highly skilled, is nomatch for the master Aringodar. To add to the misery, Aromal's sword breaks intwo. Chandu placates an attacking Aringodar, seeking time to replace the weaponand he obliges. Aromaltakes advantage of the momentarily unguarded Aringodar and throws his brokensword at him, killing him. As the victorious Aromalretires to his resting place, Chandu follows him to tend to his injuries.Aromal accuses Chandu of sabotage by treating the swords to make them brittle,and attacks him. In their scuffle, Aromal accidentally stabs himself by falling over alamp. As people gather, the mortally wounded Aromal accuses Chandu of betrayinghim with his last breath. The ill-fated Chandu escapes the mob and finds theblacksmith, who informs him about Kunji's bribe. Fighting his way through anentire contingent of guards, the furious Chandu storms into Aringodar'shousehold seeking Kunji. Toadd to his list of regrets, he finds Kunji has committed suicide by hangingherself. Chandu returns to Puthooram and is greeted by a ragingUnniyarcha, who vows that her unborn son will avenge her brother's death. Years later, Aromal Unni and Kannapan Unni (sons ofUnniyarcha and Aromal Chekavar, respectively) come to Arangodar's kalari seeking revenge. Chandu refusesto fight them. However, after being repeatedly challenged, Chandu easily beatsthem both, once again showing his mastery. Hoping that they will leave before bloodshed is inevitable,he attempts to retire his weapons. The two young warriors are in no mood toleave in defeat and insist on a duel to the death. Aromal Unni announces that he will either return withChandu's head or die himself. Chandu realises the madness in theyoungsters and appears to relent to their provocations, turning his back tothem as if to pray in preparation for the duel. But knowing that no one willever be able to win against him, and reminded that Aromal is KannappanChekavar's grandson, he commits one final act of valour: Chandu stabs himself with hissword. Reminiscing bitterly on what could have been, he addressesAromal Unni as his unborn son and hopes that he will earn renown for being theone to defeat Chandu and avenge his uncle. He reaches out to the statue of his deity and dies.There ends the life of a valiant but misunderstood man, the greatest warrior ofhis age. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/151433369.3260228.1749021180268%40mail.yahoo.com.
