Pehlwani(khusti) Introduction: Kusti is Pakistan’s traditional wrestling on soil. This ancient sport used to hold great importance in Pakistani societies, its popularity over the recent years however, has dwindled tremendously Kushti is particularly famous in the Punjab which has bread and flourished many famous internationally renowned players of the last century. One of these is Gama Phailwan who was awarded World Heavyweight Champion in 1910 by India. He also remains the only undefeated Kushti player in the history of Pakistan during his whole career. Interestingly, Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of Nawaz Sharif (President of Pakistan) is the grand-daughter of Gama Phailwan. History: Lahore is one cities where Kusti seems to be thriving. The sport is as popular as ever in the villages that surround the city. When matches are held, as many as 20,000 spectators attend. Despite its popularity there are only a handful of known Akhara’s in or around the city, where both young and senior enthusiasts from different sects of the society come together irrespective of their cultural setup. Match extensions are typically around 10-15 minutes. They eat and rest and. some Akhara’s are being abandoned and left without any financial help. stoppage or submission is also possible. Using the soil to reduce impact and improve movement. and those of their opponents. wrestlers intertwine their bodies in complex techniques. competitors may go outside the ring during a with no penalty. Before training. the floor is raked of any pebbles or stones. soft enough to avoid injury but hard enough so as not to impede the wrestlers’ movements. strict diet and celibacy for the duration of their careers are necessary if they hope to ever achieve their dream – to become a champion ‘phailwan’ (wrestler). only pinning . The wrestlers spar for several hours. But as modernity sweeps Pakistan and Western sports like cricket become more popular. in the evening. In some variations of the rules. although victory by knockout. the wrestlers rub their faces and bodies. If both competitors agree. Every match is preceded by the wrestlers throwing a few handfuls of dirt from the floor on themselves and their opponent as a form of blessing. the routine is repeated. Water is added every few days to keep it at the right consistency. and red ochre are sprinkled to the ground. There are no rounds but the length of every bout is specified beforehand. Gruelling daily training. with red dirt. Buttermilk. Despite the marked boundaries of the arena.[5] A win is achieved by pinning the opponent’s shoulders and hips to the ground simultaneously. which serves both as a blessing and to improve grip during the bout. giving the dirt its red hue. usually about 25-30 minutes. After prayers are said and the pit prepared. oil. the length of the match may be extended. Barely five per cent of pehelwans make it to higher levels. and so on. “The rest are the children of landless labourers. no one cares. carpenters. “A wrestler’s life. the decline of small-holder farming.the shoulders down is enough. “is a kind of invisible tapasya. . South Asian wrestlers train and compete on dirt floors.”. Wrestling is also a passion.” says Andhalkar. Changes in society and culture. for the rural poor. A wrestler dies. A small injury to a cricketer will play a thousand times in the media. Rather than using modern mats. measuring at least fourteen feet across. Bouts are overseen by a referee inside the ring and a panel of two judges watching from the outside For many Kushti is a route out of poverty. a striving for status. “Nearly 90 per cent of them are from poor farming families.” Wrestling competitions. It’s a complaint across western Maharashtra that Punjab and Haryana treat their wrestlers a lot better.” says Kadam in Kolhapur. Despite the many champions they’ve produced — and despite top political leaders heading their federations — the gurus of kushti have received little support from government. a recurring water-crisis and State neglect have combined to undermine what is perhaps the most deep-rooted sport in the rural economy. The arena is either a circular or square shape. known as dangal. Only a handful are from the educated classes. are held in villages and as such are variable and flexible. which are also found in hatha yoga. the training regimen has remained the same for over 150 years. meaning "the passenger") is the practice of using another person's bodyweight to add resistance to such exercises. An old Indian pehlwan exercising with Indian clubs near Varanasi. Vyayam or physical training is meant to build strength and develop muscle bulk and flexibility. Their only training attire is the kowpeenam or loincloth. and the danda. shirshasana. Exercise regimens may employ the following weight training devices: .Tanning: Although wrestling in South Asia saw changes in the Mughal era and the colonial period. Exercises that employ the wrestler's own bodyweight include the Surya Namaskara. Fledgling wrestlers may start as early as 6. They are sent to an akhara or traditional wrestling school where they are put under the apprenticeship of the local guru. as well as the bethak. Sawari (from Persian savâri. but most begin formal training in their teens. log pulling and running. . 8 AM: Teachers watch as the trainees wrestle each other in earth pits continuously for 3 hours. trainees wrestle each other for another 2 hours. Massage is regarded an integral part of a wrestler's exercise regimen. An exercise gada is a heavy round stone attached to the end of a meter-long bamboo stick. The nal is a hollow stone cylinder with a handle inside. followed by swimming and lifting stone and sandbags. The youngest go last. A typical training day will go as follows: 3 AM: Wake up and perform press-ups (danda) and squats (bethak). exercise clubs introduced by the Mughals. The gar nal (neck weight) is a circular stone ring worn around the neck to add resistance to danda and bethak. This is around 25 matches in a row. as many as 4000. Run for 5 miles. Trophies take the form of gada made of silver and gold. Exercise regimens may also include dhakuli which involve twisting rotations. Matches start with the senior wrestlers. 4 PM: After another massage. 10 AM: Wrestlers are given an oil massage before resting. The gada (mace) is a club associated with Hanuman. Indian clubs. rope climbing. m press-ups (danda) and squats (bethak). as many as 4000. Run for 5 miles. The youngest go last. . rajas (passionate/active). 8 PM: The wrestler goes to sleep. followed by swimming and lifting stone and sandbags. activities. trainees wrestle each other for another 2 hours. 10 AM: Wrestlers are given an oil massage before resting. 4 PM: After another massage. 8 AM: Teachers watch as the trainees wrestle each other in earth pits continuously for 3 hours. everything in the universe—including people. and foods—can be sorted into three gunas: sattva (calm/good). and tamas (dull/lethargic). Matches start with the senior wrestlers. 8 PM: The wrestler goes to sleep. Diet: According to the Samkhya school of philosophy. This is around 25 matches in a row. constitute the holy trinity of the pehlwani khurak (from Persian خللوراک پهلللوانیkhorâk-e pahlavani). or diet. wood-apples. pomegranates. A common snack for pehlwan are chickpeas that have been sprouted overnight in water and seasoned with salt. Various articles in the Indian wrestling monthly Bharatiya Kushti have recommended the consumption of the following fruits: apples. and turmeric is acceptable. Ideally.Ghee. wrestling has an inherently rajasic nature. Some pehlwan eat meat in spite of its tamasic nature. wrestlers are supposed to avoid sour and excessively spiced foods such as chatni and achar as well as chaat. amongst the most sattvic of foods consumed for wrestlers As a vigorous activity. and paan is strongly discouraged. Orange juice and green vegetables are also recommended for their sattvic nature. which pehlwan counteract through the consumption of sattvic foods. tobacco. coriander. lemons. cumin. and watermelons. gooseberries. Milk and ghee are regarded as the most sattvic of foods and. Techniques: . Mild seasoning with garlic. the water in which the chickpeas were sprouted is also regarded as nutritious. along with almonds. figs. pepper and lemon. bananas. The consumption of alcohol. and submission holds. Unlike its ancient ancestor malla-yuddha. These are primarily locks. Other moves include the baharli. Rather than using modern mats. The arena is either a circular or square shape. dhak. are held in villages and as such are variable and flexible. measuring at least fourteen feet across. Among the most favored maneuvres are the dhobi paat (shoulder throw) and the kasauta (strangle pin).It has been said that most of the moves found in the wrestling forms of other countries are present in kushti. South Asian wrestlers train and . kushti does not permit strikes or kicks during a match. pins. throws. machli gota and the multani Rules: Kushti in Bharatpur Wrestling competitions. known as dangle or kushti. and some are unique to South Asia. Every match is preceded by the wrestlers throwing a few handfuls of dirt from the floor on themselves and their opponent as a form of blessing.compete on dirt floors. There are no rounds but the length of every bout is specified beforehand. If both competitors agree. Dadu Chaugle and Harishchandra Birajdar (Lion of India) from Maharashtra. Muhammad Buta Pehlwan. oil. although victory by knockout. Before training. Vishnupant Nagrale was the first wrestler ever to hold this title. Buttermilk. In some variations of the rules. the length of the match may be extended. Mangla Rai from Uttar Pradesh and Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) held the Rustam-e-Hind title in the past. . Vishnupant Nagrale. Despite the marked boundaries of the arena. usually about 25–30 minutes. Imam Baksh Pehlwan. Krishna Kumar from Haryana. the floor is raked of any pebbles or stones. Match extensions are typically around 10–15 minutes. Water is added every few days to keep it at the right consistency. Hamida Pehlwan. soft enough to avoid injury but hard enough so as not to impede the wrestlers' movements. "Rustam-e-Hind": Champion of India. stoppage or submission is also possible. Official titles awarded to kushti champions are as follows. Bouts are overseen by a referee inside the ring and a panel of two judges watching from the outside. giving the dirt its red hue. competitors may go outside the ring during a match with no penalty. A win is achieved by pinning the opponent's shoulders and hips to the ground simultaneously. Note that the title Rustam is actually the hero's name of the Persian Shahnameh epic. and red ochre are sprinkled to the ground. only pinning the shoulders down is enough. Dara Singh from Punjab. [9] Winner of 2015 Hind Kesari. Recent winners include Krishan Kumar (1986). The Great Gama became known as Rustam-e-Zamana when he defeated Stanislaus Zbyszko in 1910. Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) Pehlwan Salwinder Singh Shinda was a six time Rustam-e-Panjab.[6] Winner of 2013 Hind Kesari. "Rustam-e-Zamana": World Champion. Rajeev Tomar (Railways). "Bharat-Kesari": Best heavyweight wrestler in Hindi. "Hind Kesari": Winner of 1969 Hind Kesari Harishchandra Birajdar (Maharashtra)[8] (Lion of India). Maharashtra Kesari is an Indian- style wrestling championship. Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) and Palwinder Singh Cheema (Punjab police). Sunil Salunkhe (Maharashtra) [10] . Narsinh Yadav (three-time winner) [7] "Rustam-e-Punjab”: (also spelled Rustam-e-Punjab) Champion of Panjab. Amol Barate (Maharashtra). "Maharashtra Kesari": Lion of Maharashtra. References: Alter.2. doi:10. ISSN 0094-0496.1525/ae. archive. "the sannyasi and the Indian wrestler: the anatomy of a relationship". ISSN 0094-0496. 2010. 2013. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Alter. (May 1992). 19 (2): 317– 336. "The "sannyasi" and the Indian Wrestler: The Anatomy of a Relationship". Berkeley: University of California Press. American Ethnologist. (May 1992a). 14 September 2011.1992. Smith (1969). Jump up^ "Jabbar-er Boli Khela and Baishakhi Mela in Chittagong".1525/ae. Joseph S. 19 (2): 317– 336. Jump up^ Alter. ^ Jump up to:a b "Olympian wrestler 'Lion of India' Harishchandra Birajdar passes away".02a00070.19.02a00070. American Ethnologist. Joseph S. The Wrestler's Body: Identity and Ideology in North India. doi:10. Draeger and Robert W.thedailystar. Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts. Jump up^ Donn F. dna. Retrieved June 8. Joseph S. April 28. .net.1992. (1992b). Kodansha International Limited.2.19. ISBN 0-520- 07697-4. 2011-09-15. .com. Indian Express". Sakaaltimes. Retrieved 2016-01-10. Retrieved 2016-01-10. Jump up^ "Pune boy Barate is Hind Kesari | Sakal Times".com. Loksatta. Retrieved 2016-01-10.com. Retrieved 2016-01-10. Jump up^ "Narsing is 'Maharashtra Kesari' for record third time | Sakal Times".com. Jump up^ कक ररडड (2015-02-02). Sakaaltimes.indianexpress. "ससननल ससळळ सखख 'हहळद कखसरन'". Archive. Jump up^ "Wrestler Harishchandra Birajdar dies at 73 .