In India today sporting is not as much a struggle as a way for Indian youth and adults alike to connect with the outside world. Sports such as Cricket and Soccer merge seamlessly with other traditional sports like snake boating. In normal day to day activities kids play soccer in the streets with makeshift balls while their fathers play cricket with old equipment in a park not very far away. However, the introduction of western sports into Indian society has brought with it the focus on male athletes and leagues. Coupled with the standing standards for women in India it brings of old feelings of sexual superiority. This sharp contrast between the development sports have brought to India and the new discrimination it makes this an interesting and complex topic.
~Traditional~
Kalaripayattu and Snake Boating
Kalaripayattu is a tradition Indian Martial Art, created in the fourth century A.D. by a sage of the name Parasurama. It is believed to be one of the oldest forms of martial arts in the entire world. It is said that the founder and creator of what is now known as kung fu, Bodhidharma, was an Indian Kalipayattu master himself before he went to the Shaolin Temple and taught the principles of Zen to the monks. The forms and techniques of this martial art were created when watching fierce animals such as the tiger and the wild boar.
Today, however, this martial art is not as well known around the world, often surpassed by Karate, Kung fu, and Tai Kwon Do (Japanese, Chinese, and Korean martial arts), and India is not recognized much for martial arts as much as they are for the dances that this art has succumbed to. Many similar techniques preformed in this martial art appear today in dances in famous movies, and is looked at as a way of fitness or exercise. Not many people realize how important Kalaripayattu is to the martial arts world, or how it is one of the most ancient forms of martial arts still thriving today.
(Here is a video of the martial art being practiced. Although it is not very well known, it is a surviving fragment of martial arts practiced over a thousand years ago.)
Another sport, known as snake boating, is another sport that has been pushed aside by modern day Indian sports such as cricket and football. The story of how snake boating came to be is from a legend called The Rajas of Yore. In this legend, the rajas ofChempakasseri, Kayamkulam, Thekkumkoor, and Vadakkumkoor were at war with one another. Somewhere along, it occurred to the Chempakasseri that they were suffering many casualties due to their poor navy and not-as-advanced weapons. The Chempasakasseri Raja discovered that this was because of the boats, so he called all of his boat architects together to try and create a faster, more compact, and efficient boat. The architect that had created the boat with all these features had been rewarded greatly, and the Chempasakasseri were triumphant in their battle. The boats that were used then are now used today in the sport known as the snake boating races.
When one thinks of India, they do not normally think about Kalaripayattu or snake boating, they think of more modernized, and better-known sports such as cricket. Although these sports have been bring people together for the past decade, traditional sports that show true Indian culture are fading away and are unrecognized when taking a first look at India. Although present day sports are important to bringing people from different generations together, it is important to keep traditional sports alive as a part of Indian culture.
(A snake boat, fitting over one hundred people and a quick and efficient vehicle for racing and also for war in India hundreds of years ago.)
-Sarah K.
~Modern~
Cricket and Soccer
Indians today have an almost disturbing obsession with the sport of cricket. It is the de facto national sport although technically that title belongs to field hockey. Since the early ninteenth century, the people of India have been infatuated with the sport and have become leading member of the ICC, or the International Cricket Council. The tug of war between traditional and modern ideas has been forgotten in the revelry of cricket breaking down barriers between class, age groups, and religions so everbody can just enjoy the game.
Another sport that is just recently emerging in India is soccer. The low cost of playing the game recreationally and recent pressure from FIFA to develop the game has led to soccer becoming a popular sport with the younger generatins in India. The game until this point has been in a neglectful state with the only honor the country holds is being champions in the Asia Cup once. Today, though, the formation of an Indian premier league with ten founding team has been discussed and is set to be founded in October 2009.
(Soccer, a cheap sport for all ages, focusing on those impoverished and those with low income)
So as these Western and international sport continue to grow in popularity and find larger and larger bases in the rural parts of India, it will become an effective method of bridging the gap between generations and help to end the tug of war. Or at least allow the two to come together for the sake of having fun and playing the sport.
-Daniel M.
~Script~
Daniel: Hey there, it’s nice outside, wanna play some soccer? (dribbles soccer ball)
Sarah: (holding a paddle) NO! (Smacks soccer ball with paddle) I think we should go snake boating. It’s beautiful outside and the water is just GLISTENING.
Daniel: Snake boating? Who does that anymore, what the heck IS snake boating, even?
Sarah: Well, snake boating is based off of a legend called “The Rajas of Yore”. In this legend, four different groups of people were fighting each other, and one of these groups, the Chempassakasseri discovered that the reason that they losing was because their navy and weaponry was inferior to the other three group’s, Kayamkulam, Thekkumkoor, and Vadakkumkoor. Chempassakasseri’s raja then decided to call all the boat architects together in an attempt to create a new and more efficient boat. The winning idea was used to construct a boat that was durable, fast, and could hold a hundred people. This boat design is used today in snake boat races.
Daniel: Whatever, I think we should play soccer instead.
Sarah: Why? It’s just another pointless modern sport.
Daniel:Well it’s a lot cheaper than snake boating. And seeing how we don’t have a river or a boat for that matter how about we just play soccer.
Sarah: FINE! (Drops paddle) we won’t go snake boating. But how about we just watch the cricket game?
Daniel: Ok, the final matches of the Ranji trophy are on today anyways.
Comments (3)
Moaz Sinan said
at 6:09 pm on May 4, 2009
daniel moaz and johnny are 3a4 anyways do you have any idea to what group you may be as i see that you have already worked on this one
Sarah K. said
at 6:41 pm on May 4, 2009
Are you sure? it's either this or 3A6. check that one. I'm sure no one else is using that one.
Sarah K. said
at 6:42 pm on May 4, 2009
Scratch that, try 3A7
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