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“A full surprise”, said K. Pajanivel, Silambattam exponent and trainer who was chosen for the Padma Shri successful the sports class of the awards announced connected the eve of Republic Day (January 25, 2026).
The Silambattam master, who is simply a sought-after manager successful the past martial creation for young aspirants from acold and near, including galore foreigners, was engaged organising the State-level “Nagam 16 Silambam” contention successful his autochthonal Poornankuppam colony erstwhile the quality of being chosen for the Padma Shri reached him.
“It was from a mates of friends who saw my sanction connected the database of awardees scrolling connected tv that I got to cognize of the honour. It was a full surprise”, helium said.
Pajanivel founded the Mamallan Martial Art and Folk Art Development Club successful Poornankuppam to impart the skills to youth, including girls. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Silambattam skills are being passed connected from 1 procreation to the adjacent mostly owed to efforts of masters of the creation similar him. “There is simply a increasing enthusiasm among the younker to larn Silambam. In fact, the Nagam 16 Silambam contention is hugely fashionable successful our area. Over 500 enthusiasts participated successful the event”, helium said.
Having been initiated into Silambam in his aboriginal teens, Pajanivel devoted the adjacent 4 decades to gaining mastery implicit each facet of the martial creation form. He besides founded the Mamallan Martial Art and Folk Art Development Club successful Poornankuppam to impart the skills to youth, including girls. He would person trained an estimated 5,000 students successful the rigorous art.
“There are respective levels to wide earlier 1 tin person mastery implicit the art”, helium said.
Learning Silambatttam tin scope from the basal six months to a twelvemonth basal level with the bamboo staff, and from 3 to six years to beryllium a skilled exponent with a scope of weapons, specified arsenic the spear and sword. However, turning a maestro of the art, who tin wield the afloat arsenal, tin instrumentality arsenic agelong arsenic 12 to 13 years oregon so, helium said.
Pajanivel represented Puducherry astatine the yearly martial arts lawsuit successful Marseille, France successful 2024. “Introducing our martial creation connected a planetary signifier for specified forms was a precocious constituent successful my life”, helium said.
