2,000 warriors participate in Oachira Kali

KOLLAM: The ‘padanilam’ in front of  Parabrahma temple at Oachira here turned a virtual battlefield on Thursday for the two-day annual festival of  ‘Oachira Kali.’ On the first day,  some 2,000 ‘warriors’  demonstrated their ‘battle skills’ in the water-logged ‘battlefield’ in commemoration of a war victory by the king of erstwhile Kayamkulam when he was attacked by the king of Venad.

The battle is conducted by trained warriors representing 52 karas or divisions under ‘Onattukara’ area consisting of Karunagappally, Karthikappally and Mavelikkara taluks. Each team is headed by martial arts masters or ‘Kalari Ashan’ who train them. Over 200  teams will be present in the battlefield. The festival is conducted on the first days of ‘Midhunam’ month.

The warriors who have been practising martial arts for the last one month display their war expertise  using canes, swords and daggers.    A colourful procession showcasing decorated tuskers and various dance forms is taken out under the leadership of veterans representing each division. The procession starting from the temple takes a round at the nearby Mahalakshmi and Sastha temple. A Brahminy kite, according to myth, will take a round above the field named ‘ettukandam,’ after which the battle begins.