Ancient mud combat flourishes in India: mud wrestling's traditional roots
RAW DEAL IN KOLHAPUR, INDIA - Masses rally around muscular warriors as they slap sacred dirt on their muscular forms, preparing for a mud wrestling bout in the subcontinent.
"When we fight, we sweat," bellowed 33-year-old Mauli Jamdade, a wrestling powerhouse from Maharashtra state, smearing mud on his frame before each skirmish. "The dirt helps us grapple better," he added.
Unlike regulated wrestling matches on mats that often end in draws, India's mud wrestling is a raw spectacle with deep roots - and has produced Olympic champions.
Known as "kushti" or "dangal", this age-old form of combat emerged during the Mughal period in the 16th century, merging traditional hand-to-hand combat with Persian martial arts[1]. Blows and kicking are absent, but throws to the ground abound, and the sport remains popular.
Jamdade took over 15 minutes to conquer his opponent, starting with a slow, hypnotic dance before twisting, turning, and locking arms. Typically, the bout concludes when one wrestler pins his rival's back against the mud, regardless of how long it takes[2].
From the Wilderness to Olympic Glory
Indian wrestlers, both men and women, have bagged medals at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games in more structured contests. Nevertheless, the mud version carries robust appeal in rural sectors, with enthusiasts lauding it not just as entertainment but also as cherished tradition[3].
Bank cashier Anil Harale retired from wrestling after injuring his leg, but even after hours at his desk, he slips into the dirt for a bout after work. "I miss it," confessed the 46-year-old, holding out hope that his unfulfilled dream might blossom in his teenage son, an aspiring wrestler[3].
Wrestler KD Jadhav, who scored a bronze medal at the 1952 Olympics - the first Indian to snag an individual gold - began his career as a mud wrestler in Kolhapur, a bustling city in Maharashtra.
"Every success begins with mud," exclaimed excited fan Sachin Mote, among many cheering the wrestlers during a match[2].
Mud, Milk, Oil
Kolhapur is a vital hub of the sport, home to centuries-old residential gyms named talims. Jamdade joined the Gangavesh talim at 14.
The training center boasts a picture of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman, a revered deity for wrestlers symbolizing strength and devotion. The wrestling ring sits above waist-deep pits filled with earth which is mixed with turmeric, yogurt, milk, neem tree leaves, and oil before being smoothed across the arena[4].
For the mud wrestlers, the earth is sacred. "It is everything," confessed Jamdade[4]. "There is nothing without it."
Over one hundred wrestlers, some as young as 10, train at the talim. Their rigorous training includes waking before sunrise, running, countless push-ups, climbing ropes, and grappling. Alcohol, tobacco, and pre-marital relationships are verboten, considered distractions.
Forever and a Day
For Jamdade, the first year at the talim focused on weight gain, an expensive pursuit that included consuming vast quantities of meat, eggs, fruits, and liquids to maintain his formidable size[4]. When not wrestling or training, Jamdade indulged in heavy feasting. "Some 275-385 pounds wrestlers await me," he said[4]. To fuel these size differences, he feasted on at least five kilograms of goat meat weekly, 70 egg whites, 24 apples, leafy vegetables, and nuts.
His diet also includes massive quantities of milk, lemon juice, and protein shakes concocted with almonds, cashews, honey, cardamom seeds, and more milk[4]. This hypercaloric regime set him back $350 monthly, but prize money helps support his family from a humble farming background.
Winnings range from a few hundred dollars to $1,700[5], well beyond the annual average income of an agricultural household in India.
While more organized wrestling on mats has gained traction, Jamdade believes the mud bouts' prevailing popularity ensures a lasting future at village fairs. "Fairs will always continue," he stated confidently[5]. "Mud wrestling will never end."
Enrichment Data:
- (History): Researchers believe that the roots of kushti can be traced back to the Vedic period, detailed in scriptures such as the Epic Mahabharata and the textual compilation Atharva Veda[5].
- (Rituals and Traditions): Before matches, wrestlers perform rituals, such as praying to their deities, scrubbing their bodies with soapstone, and drinking milk sprinkled with turmeric[5].
- (Commercialization and Modernization): The traditional kushti style has faced challenges as the sport increasingly moves towards more regulated competitions held in stadiums. This shift has sparked debates about preserving tradition while ensuring its continuity[6].
- (Geographical Diversity): Kushti is not exclusive to Maharashtra or Kolhapur; it thrives across the north and west of India, with significant training centers and communities in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan[7].
- (Talims and Patrons): Talims play a crucial role in training wrestlers and perpetuating the tradition. Widespread support from patrons, both individual and institutional, enable the continuation of these training centers[8].
The sacred earth in the mud wrestling ring, mixed with turmeric, yogurt, milk, neem tree leaves, and oil, is essential for the wrestlers as Mauli Jamdade confessed, "It is everything."
Ironically, while modern sports-analysis often deems mixed-martial-arts more competitive, India's mud wrestling remains popular, even producing Olympic champions, as demonstrated by Wrestler KD Jadhav who started his career in the mud pits of Kolhapur.
