Kerala: India's sword-wielding grandmother Meenakshi Amma still going strong at 82

At 82, Meenakshi Amma is possibly the oldest woman to practise an ancient Indian martial art.

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"I'll probably practise Kalari until the day I die," says Meenakshi Raghavan, widely thought to be the oldest woman in the world to practise the art form.

Kalaripayattu - kalari means battleground and payattu means fight - is believed to have originated at least 3,000 years back in the southern state of Kerala and is regarded as India's oldest martial art.

It is not solely practised for combat or fighting; it also serves to instil discipline, build strength and develop self-defence skills.

Ms Raghavan is fondly known as Meenakshi Amma - Amma means mother in the Malayalam language - in Kerala's Vadakara, where she lives. The town is also home to other renowned exponents of the art like Unniyarcha, Aromal Chekavar and Thacholi Othenan.