56 HERITAGEvillage, that I decided to start training
in kushti”, a young kid called Kumar
explains after planking for a couple
of minutes. Because he is among the
youngest of the group, Kumar is in charge
of setting up the arena for the fight. Using
a hoe, he stirs the surface. Then, he uses
a long piece of wood to flatten it. Finally,
a splash of water gives the ground the
desired consistency – not hard enough to
hurt, and not too soft to walk on.
“The core of kushti training has not
changed over the course of history. Unlike
in other sports, technology is never used
to improve performance. It’s as primitive
as it gets”, Prasad laughs.
At 5:30pm, when the temperature
drops to around 30 degrees, the fight
begins. The youngsters enter the arena
first. As tradition dictates, they bless
themselves, rubbing a handful of mud
onto their chests, and then shake hands.
The first one to pin his rival’s shoulders
and hips to the ground at the same time
wins the round. “It’s more about skills
than strength”, the ustad Rajan explains.
Rivals look at each other in the eye, try to
reach for the legs, and then the struggle
“Unlike in other sports,
technology is never used
to improve performance.
It’s as primitive as it gets”T op Since the success
of Indian wrestlers in
the Olympics, there is
an interest in practicing
on mattresses instead
of the tradition of mud
wrestling
boTTom Wrestlers fight
it out in an overcrowded
dangal in a small town
near India’s capital