People travelling through Cheloor at Koottilangadi, near here, may be surprised to find a group of youngsters walking on stilts.
Stilt walking by three brothers is a regular sight for the people of Cheloor, but not certainly for those from outside. For the local people, the sight of the siblings Anshad, Binshad, and Rabih Ali moving fast along the village paths on their 10-foot-long stilts continues to evoke curiosity in spite of their presence for months.
The children of traditional Kalarippayattu expert Aboobacker and Mariyumma, the trio learned stilt walking from childhood. It took several years for them to perfect the art.
They walk about 2 km without a break on stilts almost every day. Although they started with smaller stilts, they could increase the length of the stilts up to 10 feet through rigorous training.
“Although it looks easy and curious for an onlooker, walking on stilts is not easy. It took us many months to learn and perfect this style of walking,” the trio said.
They said they were continuing their efforts to increase the size of the stilts. They dedicate their holidays, weekends and mornings for training.
The trio had captured attention first when they walked on stilts during a cultural procession held as part of the State School Arts Festival in Malappuram a few years ago.
