Kerala is locate on the extreme southwest coast of the Indian subcontinent.

And now for something completely different, and your cross-cultural moment of the day…

Kalaripayattu is the martial art from Kerala, India — located on the extreme southwest edge of the subcontinent.  A weapon used in Kalaripayattu is the urumi.  The urumi is most probably unlike any sword you have ever seen — it is flexible.  It can be worn around the waist, ready for use. They also use a paricha, or buckler of sorts. Feast your eyes on this:

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