UPSC Prelims 2014 · Question 27 of 100
UPSC Prelims 2014 question on Kalaripayattu Martial Art
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2014
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectArt and Culture
- TopicMartial Arts in India
- DifficultyHard
- TypeDirect
With reference to India's culture and tradition, what is 'Kalaripayattu'?
Show answer
Answer: D. It is an ancient martial art and a living tradition in some parts of South India.
Verdict
The answer is that Kalaripayattu is an ancient martial art and a living tradition in parts of South India. It is practised chiefly in Kerala and is among the oldest surviving martial traditions in the world.
Analysis
Kalaripayattu is trained in a kalari, combines unarmed combat, weapons and a body of physical conditioning, and is closely connected to traditional massage and healing practice. The dance drama option is the closest distractor because Kerala genuinely does have a northern Malabar performance tradition, Theyyam, and because Kalaripayattu movement vocabulary influenced Kathakali. The Shaivite cult option and the bronze and brasswork option attach the name to a religious sect and a craft respectively, neither of which fits the word payattu, meaning fight or exercise.
Source
Centre for Cultural Resources and Training page on performing arts.
How to crack it
When a cultural term is unfamiliar, break the word. Kalari is the training ground and payattu carries the sense of fighting or practice, which points straight at a martial art. Sanskrit and Dravidian roots inside a term are legitimate evidence and often the only evidence available in unconventional culture questions. Note also the news hook: Kalaripayattu drew fresh attention through its use in popular cinema.