As the referee blows his whistle, the wrestlers grapple with each other, trade blows and try to toss down each other, amid the shouts and cheers of an excited crowd in Thrissur, central Kerala.
The fight starts when a wrestler from one side advances into the middle of the ring and shouts his challenge, which is then taken up by one member of the opposite side. This indigenous form of wrestling, staged during Onam, is popularly known as Onathallu and Kayyankali. It is a type of wrestling that blends machismo, youthfulness and rural simplicity. The combatants usually ground the opponents by using only hands.
In earlier times, the matches were held on newly-harvested paddy-fields. And it was a common sight to see families sitting on the embankment of the fields and watching the fights. Feudal landlords promoted Onathallu with an aim to retaining their territorial supremacy as the winner was respected and feared by everyone in the area.
But today, the game is played in stadiums and grounds owing to the shortage of paddy fields. Recently, there were 30 teams, comprising around 300 contestants, who participated in an Onathallu contest held in Kunnamkulam. Thousands of Malayalis who live abroad also watched the matches through live Internet streaming. Organisers had used social networks for promoting the fights. There were numerous comments on Facebook.
This type of wrestling traces its origin to the rule of the Zamorin Kings of Kozhikode (12th to the 16th century). The Sangha Kala literature, believed to be scripted in AD 20, has a mention of the sport. Unlike classical martial arts, Onathallu lacks niceties of form. The rule is simple: get the opponent to the ground by any means.
Onathallu is also believed to have originated from Kerala’s own martial arts, Kalari. “Earlier, there were a lot of Kalaries in the elite homes, so the wrestlers were proficient in bare-fist fighting,” said Sadasiva Pilla, a septuagenarian wrestler in Kunnamkulam. “Learning Onathallu is not an easy job as it takes several years for the people to learn this art form. Of late, the youth had also lost interest and dedication. However, we used to impart training to the participants of our team members at least three months before the programme.”
There is no special prize for the winners; instead, all the contestants are given awards. If the organisers institute special prizes for winners, the fighting will go out of hand, said one of the organisers. The participants have to strictly follow the instructions and fighting for personal vendetta is not allowed. In short, high discipline and self-control are required by the participants.
“But many wrestlers are reluctant to participate in Onathallu as things go out of hand during fights, with audiences taking sides and a free-for-all ensues,” said Unnikrishna Pothuval, an aged wrestler in Thrissur. Nevertheless, a section of folk art enthusiasts has been trying to revive it. “Our attempts are often met with huge losses that run into lakhs of rupees. We have been looking for grants from the Tourism department to save the tradition from extinction,” says Lijo Cheeran Jose, head of the Popular Arts and Sports Centre, one of the organisers in Kannamkulam.
But there has been good news. For this year’s competition because of the enthusiastic crowd participation, Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar has confirmed that the State Tourism Promotion Council would promote the event by granting financial aid to the organising bodies across the state. Hope, the fight stands the test of time.
