Pehlwani

Origins and royal patronage

Pehlwani took its modern shape during the Mughal era by uniting the ancient Indian martial system of malla-yuddha with Persian wrestling traditions. Mughal rulers, notably Babur, took an active interest in grappling bouts. Over the centuries, Maratha monarchs and Rajput rulers championed the sport, staging grand tournaments with generous prizes for their champions. During the colonial era, regional princes maintained wrestling stables to entertain courts and foster physical prowess. In Bengal, tournaments like Jabbar-er Boli Khela were established in 1909 to rally local youths against colonial authority. Today, the discipline continues in both rural villages and urban centres.

Daily life in the akhara

Wrestlers, called pehlwans, train in traditional gymnasiums known as akharas under the watchful eye of a guru or ustad. Trainees often begin in their early teens, wearing only a traditional loincloth. Daily life begins long before dawn with thousands of dipping push-ups, squats, long-distance running, and stone-lifting exercises. Practitioners build strength using heavy wooden clubs called mugdars, stone neck rings, and weighted bamboo maces named gadas. Training also involves turning water wheels or climbing ropes. After hours of intense conditioning and practice bouts, wrestlers receive rigorous oil massages before taking scheduled rest.

The earthen wrestling pit

Bouts take place not on modern synthetic mats, but on soft earth arenas. The ground is carefully prepared by removing small stones and blending the soil with buttermilk, oil, and red ochre to give it a distinct hue and safe texture. Water is mixed in regularly to keep the surface supple. Before locking hands, competitors scatter soil over their own chests and their rivals as an act of blessing and mutual respect. Contests focus on throws, locks, and pins, forbidding strikes or kicks. A victory occurs when a wrestler pins both shoulders and hips of their opponent firmly against the ground.

Diet and spiritual balance

Pehlwans treat food as an essential element of physical and mental purity. Drawing on traditional philosophical ideas of balance, wrestlers offset the heated aggression of combat by eating calming, nourishing foods. The foundation of their nutrition consists of milk, clarified butter, and almonds. Soaked sprouted chickpeas seasoned with lemon and mild spices provide a common snack, while fresh fruits and fruit juices offer daily refreshment. Wrestlers strictly avoid tobacco, alcohol, and overly pungent or sour condiments. Alongside physical power, the ultimate goal of a wrestler is self-mastery and inner enlightenment.

How Pehlwani is kept

Wrestlers gather in an akhara to train and compete under their teacher. They strip to a simple loincloth, pray, and work out with weights, wooden clubs, and bodyweight movements. Inside the square or circular earth pit, pairs grapple in bouts that usually last twenty-five to thirty minutes. Before wrestling, each competitor covers their body with red-tinted soil. Opponents use throws, parries, and submission holds to bring one another down without striking. Matches end when one wrestler pins the other flat against the dirt.

When and where

Training in the akharas continues throughout the entire year on a daily routine. Public tournaments, known as dangals, take place regularly in villages and towns, while historic contests like Jabbar-er Boli Khela are celebrated annually during the Bengali New Year festival.

Pehlwani is widely practised across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Its most famous heartlands are situated in the northern regions of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, alongside traditional strongholds in Maharashtra and the port city of Chittagong.

What Pehlwani means

Pehlwani represents self-control, devotion, and moral uprightness. Wrestlers view physical strength not as a tool for violence, but as a path to spiritual self-realisation. Applying earth to the body before a bout signifies humility and reverence for the soil. The weighted mace, often awarded as a champion's trophy, honours the deity Hanuman as an ideal of selfless strength and loyalty.

On the table

Flavours: Black pepper Garlic Cumin Coriander Turmeric

Questions people ask about Pehlwani

See also

KambalaAn annual traditional buffalo race across muddy paddy fields in southwestern IndiaVallam KaliA traditional canoe racing festival held across the waters of Kerala during OnamJallikattuA traditional bull-embracing event held during harvest celebrations in Tamil NaduDiwaliA five-day festival of lights celebrated across India and its diaspora to mark the victory of light over darkness.

Good reading and sources

• BBC NEWS | South AsiaBBC, Article
• ‘Jabbar-er Boli Khela’ and ‘Baishakhi Mela’ in ChittagongThe Daily Star, Article
• The culture and crisis of kushtiThe Hindu, Article
• BBC NEWS | South AsiaBBC, Article
• ‘Jabbar-er Boli Khela’ and ‘Baishakhi Mela’ in ChittagongThe Daily Star, Article
• The culture and crisis of kushtiThe Hindu, Article

• Pehlwani on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.