On 26th July 2026, Friends of New Acropolis hosted an enriching evening titled “Kalari – The Battle Within.” Guiding us through this exploration were Acropolitan Instructor and Kalari practitioner Axelle DeFrasne and Rajvardhan Kadam, Kalaripayattu Teacher, visual artist, and co-founder of the Kadambavan Foundation, an organisation dedicated to reviving Indic knowledge systems with Kalaripayattu at its core.
The evening explored Kalaripayattu as more than an ancient martial art— Rajvardhan revealed it as – “a system of living life” rooted in India’s timeless wisdom traditions. Kalaripayattu, widely regarded as one of the world’s oldest martial traditions. Far more than a system of combat, it is a living knowledge tradition that draws from and intersects with disciplines such as Dhanurveda, Ayurveda, Siddha Yoga, Vastu Shastra, and the Natya Shastra.
Through the captivating talk, demonstrations, historical insights, and an interactive practice session, Rajvardhan showed how the true battle is not against an external enemy, but within oneself. To see Kalaripayattu not merely as an ancient martial tradition, but as a living philosophy that cultivates discipline, balance, and a deeper relationship with oneself and the world.
