Our heart breaks as news of Vinesh Phogat's disqualification comes to light. The young woman from Haryana has become the face of a female sportsperson's grit and guts, both in the face of protests against her oppressor Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as well as her top-rung opponent Yui Susaki.
How many of us know the significance of wrestling in India? The sport traces its origins in India to ancient times. Archaeological evidence as well as paintings of various styles and media shed light on the history of wrestling and how the traditional sport has evolved.
In 1952, Khasdhaba D. Jadhav became the first Indian to win an individual medal in the Olympics post-Independence. A freestyle wrestler, Jadhav created history with his bronze medal, paving the way for aspiring athletes and wrestlers. Ever since, India has only won seven medals in the sport of wrestling with Sakshi Malik being the only woman to hold this badge of honour. From the conversation around wrestling being male centric, we have come a long way.
Archaeological evidence in the form of fragments of tools that were part of a wrestler's training equipment have been discovered in India as well as Nepal. Attributed as a Gandhara art form, a product of cross-cultural exchanges between the East and West, these tools shed light on the type of equipment used by wrestlers and the training method of the time. A beautiful second-century frieze, a part of Christie's auctions, depicts Lord Buddha as Prince Siddhartha wrestling. The frieze also helps understand that historically it was a cloth robe adorned by the men when they wrestled. With time, this evolved into the wrestling briefs that are seen more popularly.
The importance of wrestling has been attested in mythical narratives such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, which speak descriptively about wrestling. Beautifully painted compositions inspired by such mythological texts have been created in an attempt to document these tales and the bravery and valor they symbolise. One of the earliest known Hindu manuscripts from the Sultanate period depicts Bhima wrestling with Jarasandha, the ruler of Magadaha. Lord Krishna is a witness to this test of strength. This work of art, part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ancient India collection, dates its origin to 1540 and is created using natural pigments and dyes.
Similarly, some classical Mughal miniatures also celebrate ancient wrestling. Wrestling as a sport and a form of entertainment thrived under royal patronage during the Mughal Era. The court of Akbar witnessed wrestlers not only from across India but also from places such as Iran.
As the popularity of the sport rose, came a gift for the 11th accession year of Jehangir from the ruler of Bijapur, the mighty strong Sher Ali. Ali defeated all the wrestlers of the Imperial Capital, bagging the title of Pehalwan Paytakht or 'Wrestler of the Imperial Capital'. During the reign of Shah Jahan, Ali reached his prime, gaining the highest honour, Pehalwan Surkh Darvish. An intricately detailed miniature painting with elaborate borders and gold foil showcases Emperor Shah Jahan watching a wrestling match. Today, Sher Ali continues to be a celebrated figure. His tomb in Agra, called ‘Gumbad Takht Pehalwan’ is a place of worship for many wrestlers.
During the Mughal rule, the sport of wrestling evolved into ‘kushti’ or ‘pehalwani’, bringing together the Indian malla-yuddha wrestling and Persia’s varzesh-e-bastanil. A dynamic set up was created with the akhada being the school of wrestling and pehalwan being the wrestler.
The floor of the akhada consists of layers of mud, which is cleansed with buttermilk or milk on a daily basis to make the surface softer. The exertion, strength and endurance of each being tested rigorously.
The greatest of all pehalwan to have lived, Ghulam Mohamad popularly known as the Great Gama was an undefeated champion of British India. On May 22, 2022, Google commemorated the pehalwan with a 'google doodle' on his 144th birth anniversary, thus reiterating his popularity, prominence and the importance of wrestling in India.
The Jaipur School of Miniature Painting has dedicated a series of works to kushti. Here, we are fortunate to see works of art in the musical mode of Desakh. The only raga in the ragamalas of Indian classical music dedicated to physical strength—men doing vigorous physical exercises, holding tools such as wooden barrels or ‘mudgals’ as they are traditionally referred to. Mudgals have been used by pehalwans to exercise their arms, shoulders, and wrists— all integral to sword-wielding.
A historic fort in the quaint town of Sihor near Bhavnagar has a wall of frescoes dedicated to two hefty wrestlers using similar tools in a battle of ‘Vajra-Musti.’ Tales and folklore have been dedicated to them and popularised over the years. This wall painting of the wrestlers from Bhavnagar and Baroda, stands the test of time, serving as a documentation of an integral part of wrestling history.
Artists continue to draw inspiration from the wrestling ring and the akhada. Photographer Jayesh Sharma has documented the present day pehalwans of Kolhapur and Varanasi. Their sinewy bodies locked-in fierce struggle. These works are brilliant documentation of not only the physical agility but also the mental strength the sport requires. The beauty is in the calm and meditative nature by which the ancient sport has been captured through the centuries.