Sankara Narayana Menon Chundayil

Sankaranarayana Menon (February 15, 1929 – June 6, 2023) popularly known as Unni Gurukkal was a Kalaripayattu gurukkal or teacher from Chavakkad, Kerala, India. For his contributions in the field of Kalaripayattu, he has won several noted awards including Kerala Folklore Academy Award and India's fourth highest civilian honor Padma Shri. In 1955, family came to Chavakkad in Thrissur district. In 1957, the family established a Kalarippayattu school called Vallabhatta Kalari in Chavakkad.

At the age of six, Menon started learning Kalaripayattu from his father Sankunni Panicker. He became a Kalari gurukkal (teacher) at the age of 16.

Unni Gurukkal spread Kalaripayattu, an Indian martial art from Kerala, outside India and started branches of his Kalaripayattu school in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, France and Belgium. Kerala Folklore Akademi Gurupooja Award 2019