Tattva Heritage Foundation has made a second grant to Kalarigram this year. Located adjacent to Auroville, Kalarigram is one of the premier centres of learning Ayurveda and Kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art form originating in Kerala. Kalarigram is also fast emerging as a hub for the performance of Indian sacred dance and music, especially with the success of their annual Tantrotsav festival held during the weeks prior to the auspicious night of Mahāśivarātri. In these three weeks, some of the best artists, dancers, singers and musicians of India (and outside) gather at Kalarigram to showcase and teach their sacred art forms.

Kalarigram is also a centre for the practice of Śakta Hinduism. Practices, rituals, and festivals related to the Śakta tradition is conducted at Kalarigram according to the ancient ritual manuals. The period of Navarātri is especially auspicious as various homas, yajñas and pūjā are performed to propitiate and seek blessing from the supreme Goddess. Kalarigram is constructing an agamic temple dedicated to the Goddess Bhagawati, who is the patron Goddess of Kalaripayattu and other sacred art forms. Shri Lakshman Gurukkal, the founder of Kalarigram, is an advanced Śri Vidyā practitioner and has initiated many of his advanced students into Śri Vidyā worship. A veritable universe in microcosm, the human body in Kalaripayattu is visualized as a vessel consisting of fiery energy channels called nadis and distinct energy centres called chakras. This conception of the human body underlying the practices of Kalaripayattu is derived from the ancient Śaiva-Śakta tantric tradition of esoteric ritual practices and visualization meditation. Therefore, the non-somatic meditational practices of Śakta Hinduism are complementary to the more somatic practices of Kalaripayattu.

Kalarigram is the brainchild of Shri Lakshmanan Gurukkal who comes from a long lineage of Kalari warriors and practitioners. After more than a decade of leading the centre, Shri Lakshmanan Gurukkal vision now is to transform Kalarigram into premier research and performing centre of India’s sacred martial arts, dance and music forms. Tattva Heritage Foundation is glad to partner with Kalarigram as it goes forward to implement this vision.