Our Roots

Ekalavya Kalari was established by Gurukkal Sumesh Subramanian in 2014. What began with a single 45-year-old student has touched 5,000+ lives, with 500+ regular practitioners across centres in Kerala and the United States — grown through word of mouth that reflected our quality and commitment to teaching. We have produced 25 national champions, with 100+ national medals including the Khelo India Youth Games, and performances at platforms such as the Kalinga Festival, Odisha.

Gurukkal Sumesh Subramanian was a disciple of Gurukkal Balachandra Menon, a deeply respected figure instrumental in preserving both the Northern and Southern styles of Kalaripayattu. Before founding Ekalavya, Gurukkal Sumesh spent 8 years teaching at Isha Home School and 3 years at Isha Samskriti, holding a Bachelors in Education from Chittur Government College.