Hindu ‘Nayar’ Sword

The ‘Nayar’ or ‘Nair’ sword is an ancient sword form from India, which dates back as far as the 12th century, while they lost their use in battle, they were used for temple ceremonies til this very day. These ‘Nayar’ swords vary basically int wo forms; firm and sometimes casted in bronze, with steep angles near the tip of the blade, and slender and elegant with steel, functional blades in ‘kopis’ form. The use in battle declined throughout the centuries and got lost during the fall of the Hindu Vijayanagara empire.

In this period, the importance of Hindu traditional beliefs was mostly maintained within the Southern regions of India while the North was dominated by Islamic cultures. The auspicious symbolism in these swords carries a long tradition and is linked to the early temple decorative elements. The guard for example features four rounded shields with a chiseled, thick mid section which is riveted to the blade. These motives resemble a stylized version of the ‘Chakra’ the weapon of Vishnu. The chiseled design on both sidebars are visible at the Tanjore temples from the 11th century which represent shields.

The hilt was likely covered in padded cloth or velvet and has a wooden pommel guard and two brass bells attached which make a rattling sound while wielding the sword, an important feature during ceremonies and rituals. The pommel cap is dome-shaped and has six segments. While these swords mainly appear in the 12th til 17th century, I’m confident this example dates from after the fall of the Vijayanagara empire and due to its fine quality, dates from the late 17th to early 18th century, but might even be earlier.