Unniyarcha (sometimes spelled Unniarcha) is a legendary warrior and heroine mentioned in the Vadakkan Pattukal, a set of ballads from Kerala, a state in southwestern India. She was a member of a Thiyyar family of Puthooram Veed in Kadathanad.Her father's name was Kannappa Chekavar. She is believed to have lived in the northern part of Kerala during the 16th century. She is a popular character in Kerala's folklore, and is remembered for her valour and skills in Kerala's native martial art, Kalaripayattu. According to legend, Unniyarcha was most known for her deadly skill with the whip-like Urumi, a unique type of sword that is native to Kerala . Like most traditional Kalaripayattu practitioners, she began training at the kalari at the age of seven.