It's spelled Kalaripayattu.
Kalaripayattu includes strikes, kicks, grappling, preset forms, weaponry and healing methods and it's training is usually full contact to semi contact, so pretty hard art. The style depends on the region with main styles being northern, southern and central kalaripayattu.
Kalaripayattu often combines the agility of dance as it was found that practitioners who knew both dance and martial arts were better martial artists than those who only trained in the martial art.
In the US it is pretty hard to find someone who teaches kalaripayattu. So in the west it is not a very popular, as in well known, art.
Kalaripayattu is one of the oldest martial arts in the world. Good luck finding a school outside of India or Pakistan. It has a lot of primitive weapons and moves that are no longer used in modern combat or self defense. I see it as more of a "historic martial art" than a "real world" modern, scientific fighting system.
I once saw a series on National Geographic called "Deadly Arts", hosted by a French female Karateka named Josette Normandeau, that featured Kalaripayattu in one episode. It was one of the few shows I've seen featuring this less known art. You can try googling her for more info.
It's an old Indian art, one of the oldest supposedly, and you mis-spelled but then again I can't spell it either.
Like most older and traditional style, It includes striking, grappling, weapons, stand up, ground as well as healing spacers.
I believe daruma knew one of the styles. There are several styles depending upon the region it came from.
The martial art Kalaripayyatu
