Appearance of the Kukri in Classical South Indian Culture

olikara · 2nd March 2010, 10:20 AM

Hello,
This is from the local museum at Shimoga in Southern Karnataka, where I am based. The museum has several more friezes where the reversed blade is depicted. There is also one from the 14th C.A.D. This frieze is actually from Huliyal in Southern Karnataka.

I do not have a larger snap but the zoom option on any photo editor shows the katar very well with it's twin grips too!

As for your question about when the Southern kukri 'evolved' into the Ayudha Katthi', I am not sure if there was any such evolution. The reversed curved blade has been around here since the 13th C.A.D. as can be verified from dated temple architecture and I wouldn't be surprised if it was around several centuries earlier too. The reverse curved form is seen on long and short edged blades - swords, daggers (chillanum blades), ayudha kathi (medium sized blade), etc.

I have an intersting reverse curved piece from the Bikaner armoury. It from it's Southern hilt style and brass construction would most probably have been brought over from the South to the Bikaner armoury after Adoni fell to the Mughals.

Nidhi

2nd March 2010, 10:20 AM	#7
olikara Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: India Posts: 101	The frieze Hello, This is from the local museum at Shimoga in Southern Karnataka, where I am based. The museum has several more friezes where the reversed blade is depicted. There is also one from the 14th C.A.D. This frieze is actually from Huliyal in Southern Karnataka. I do not have a larger snap but the zoom option on any photo editor shows the katar very well with it's twin grips too! As for your question about when the Southern kukri 'evolved' into the Ayudha Katthi', I am not sure if there was any such evolution. The reversed curved blade has been around here since the 13th C.A.D. as can be verified from dated temple architecture and I wouldn't be surprised if it was around several centuries earlier too. The reverse curved form is seen on long and short edged blades - swords, daggers (chillanum blades), ayudha kathi (medium sized blade), etc. I have an intersting reverse curved piece from the Bikaner armoury. It from it's Southern hilt style and brass construction would most probably have been brought over from the South to the Bikaner armoury after Adoni fell to the Mughals. Nidhi Attached Images Last edited by olikara; 2nd March 2010 at 10:23 AM. Reason: Cleaning Typo