Yuva Shivir — discovering the living warrior arts together

Hindu Parenting’s recent Yuva Shivir brought Hindu teens from different parts of India together to discover, discuss and connect. We were delighted to join them for a session of demonstration and training in the living warrior arts of Bharat.

Under the trees, the participants stepped into practice together: moving, learning to handle the kambu, watching a demonstration and receiving individual guidance. What began as a glimpse of an unfamiliar art became an opportunity to experience it with their own hands and bodies.

A living vidya

Silambam is more than the staff that so often represents it. Its practice brings together footwork, conditioning, unarmed movement and a range of ayudhs, carried forward through the relationship between teacher and student. A gathering like this gives young people an opportunity to meet that tradition in practice and to discover the joy of learning together.

At Karla Kutuhal Akhara, we work to keep Bharatiye fitness and warrior arts alive through regular training. Our Silambam discussion explores the art and its living parampara in greater depth; Abhimanyu is our structured warrior-arts programme for those who would like to continue the journey.

Our thanks to Hindu Parenting for bringing the young participants together and inviting us to share this practice, and to the participants for their energy and curiosity.

Glimpses from the session