MALLAKHAMB : Centuries old acrobatic sport of India

If you are a 90’s kid, you will surely remember the beautiful rope gymnastics performed by Isha Sharvani in the Subhash Ghai-directed movie Kisna. Ever since then, this tactic has become quite popular not only in India but also outside. Very few people will know that this was one representation of our very own traditional sport, Mallakhamb.

Rope mallakhamb is getting popular among gymnastic enthusiasts. Image source:News18.

The re-introduction of the lost art form of Mallakhamb in India has an interesting story. In the 19th century, two wrestlers openly challenged the court of Peshwa Bajirao II for a duel. By looking at their toned body, no one dared to even think about a duel with them. Finding no competitor, they challenged the whole kingdom asking for one daring person who could stand up against them. This annoyed the physical instructor of the Peshwa, Balambhatt Dada Deodhar, by name. He accepted the challenge and thus began his preparation.

Dada Deodhar had no one to train him. He could think of only one ‘guru’ or master who could help him win against these wrestlers. It was none other than the monkey god Hanuman. He had an idea. He started visualising how the monkeys would have fought and therefore made a long ‘khamba’ or pole and began practising in it. He mastered fighting using the khamba and later on defeated the two wrestlers. This earned him great name and fame, and along with it the sport of Mallakhamb was reborn.

In 1981, the Mallakhamb Federation of India was set up, which started organising many national events in the country and conducted coaching camps to boost Mallakhamb as a sport. Presently, it has become an international sport, and there are many federations holding sports events to promote this archaic sport of India.

The exercises associated with this sport are designed in such a way that it massages the entire body. A person involved in this sport needs physical and mental strength. Trainers from other wrestling backgrounds can also practise their skills in this sport and later can use those tactics against their opponents. While all forms of sport in western countries receive equal acknowledgement, mallakhamb is one such sport that deserves to gain popularity as well, especially when this sport has been in vogue for a long past.

Mallakhamb as a sport has been in the subcontinent since time immemorial. A piece of pottery found at the archaeological site of Chandraketugarh in Kolkata represents a couple performing gymnastics on a pole-like structure. A thorough C-14 dating of these artefacts mentioned that they belong to an era between the 2nd century BCE and 1st century CE. Similarly in a much later time, the Chinese pilgrim Xuan Xang referred to witnessing the practice of pole gymnastics at Prayagraj. These findings have literally made mallakhamb one of the age-old sports in India.

Literally meaning “wrestling pole”, the word “Mallakhamb” originates from two words: “malla” meaning wrestler and “khamba” meaning pole. While the version of performing gymnastics on the pole is quite famous, Mallakhamb has three major variants: pole, rope and hanging. The gymnast performs aerial yoga on any of the forms of Mallakhamb. In the case of hanging and pole Mallakhamb, the pole is made of ‘sheesham’ or Indian rosewood, which is later smoothened by using castor oil.

Presently, Mallakhamb acts have become very famous. People from different parts of the country are flocking to India to learn this ancient art form. There have been many reality shows where Mallakhamb has been used as a form of dance.

History textbooks mention Rani Lakshmi Bai, Nana Saheb, and Tantia Tope were Mallakhamb enthusiasts. They learnt war tactics by practising the Mallakhamb. Image Source: Mallakhamb India.

At the opening of the German Olympics, Mallakhamb was demonstrated in front of the world.Image Source: Hinduism Now.