KUSTHI - Fading Traditional Indian Wrestling

Kushti, a form of wrestling is a three-thousand-year-old traditional Indian sport practiced in Northern India. Their gym is otherwise called Akharas and the training as Talim. Wrestlers from all across the country come to various Akharas to start their Talim. In India, wrestling takes place in a clay or dirt pit. The soil is mixed with ghee and other things and is tended to before each practice. The wrestlers are so passionate about the sport that they leave their family and stay in the Akhara throughout their training. There is no age limit, as the wrestlers begin their practice as young as when they are four years old. Their strenuous exercise starts early in the morning at 4.00 a.m and lasts until 6.00 p.m in the evening. Wrestlers' diets consist of milk, almonds, ghee, eggs, and chapattis and each wrestler has a job to do in preparing meals. The wrestlers live under conditioned routine and diet. Smoking and drinking are strictly prohibited. some wrestlers even abstain from sex. The focus is on living a pure life, building strength, and honing their wrestling skills. The sport is on the decline, but there are still many akharas left and some dedicated people who are working to keep this ancient part of Indian culture alive.