 In Kalaripayattu, the master is also called a "Kalarigurukkaḷ".The word is derived from the Sanskrit word "guru" and the -kkaḷ ending indicates plurality.This is due to the practice in Malayalam of adding plural suffixes to words to indicate respect, even when only one person is being addressed or referred to, such as "ācāryar" or "bhīṣmar".