Kushti:Wrestling as an Ancient Way of Life
Kushti, also known as Pehlwani, is one of the oldest forms of wrestling still practiced in India. More than a sport, it represents a way of life rooted in discipline, sacrifice, and spirituality. The wrestlers follow strict codes that shape not only their physical training but also their moral and social conduct in order to pursue a pure and noble existence.
Life inside the akhara (the traditional mud wrestling school) is built around both physical and spiritual growth. Wrestlers live and train together under the guidance of a guru, who is not only a coach but also a mentor and moral guide. Apprentices share responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, and maintaining the training ground. Elite athletes adopt rigorous rules of celibacy, follow a prescribed diet, and abstain from smoking and drinking, reinforcing the idea that strength is inseparable from purity.
The akhara is not simply a training ground but a community and an arena where wrestlers challenge one another, testing their strength with minimal yet effective equipment. Guru Hanuman Akhara in New Delhi, the oldest in the country, has produced national and international champions, keeping this centuries-old heritage alive. Its legendary coach, Maha Singh Rao, was honored with the prestigious Dronacharya Award in 2006, the highest national recognition for excellence in coaching.
Kushti is therefore a living testimony of India’s cultural heritage: a discipline where the body, mind, and spirit are forged together. Documenting it means preserving the story of an ancient art form that continues to inspire resilience, humility, and dedication in modern times.
1-24: A young wrestler prepares himself inside the Guru Hanuman Akhara, New Delhi’s oldest wrestling school. Here, discipline and tradition shape both body and spirit.
2-24: Inside the akhara, wrestlers train with simple equipment and bare walls. Every repetition in front of the mirror is not only physical effort but also self-discipline, a dialogue with their own limits.
3-24: Early in the morning, a student cleans the statue of Guru Hanuman at the entrance of the akhara, paying tribute to the master who founded India’s oldest wrestling school.
4-24: A wrestler drags a wooden plough to prepare the mud floor of the akhara for training. The act both conditions the arena and strengthens the athlete himself, blending duty and exercise in a single gesture.
5-24: A local Olympic-level wrestler shares a moment of focus at the entrance of the akhara—though unnamed, his presence embodies the legacy of Kushti.
6-24: A wrestler climbs the rope during training at the akhara, watched by a fellow athlete. Rope climbing is a traditional exercise that builds strength, endurance, and mental focus.
7-24: A wrestler performs strength and endurance drills on the mud floor, while fellow athletes look on. Training in the akhara combines individual effort with collective discipline.
8-24: Inside the Guru Hanuman Akhara, a room filled with trophies, portraits, and relics preserves the memory of India’s greatest wrestlers and their legendary achievements.
9-24: In the akhara, modern weights meet ancient practices. While one wrestler lifts a barbell, another prepares the mud floor—a blend of tradition and adaptation in Kushti training.
10-24: Through the narrow opening of a doorway, wrestlers can be seen training outside. The akhara reveals itself only in fragments, as if protecting the intimacy of its rituals.
11-24: At the entrance of the akhara, a wrestler trains with the rope while monkeys roam freely across the walls. In Kushti schools, discipline and nature coexist in the same space.
12-24: Inside the akhara’s gym, wrestlers train with handmade and rudimentary equipment. Every tool, often built by the athletes themselves, reflects the same philosophy of discipline and simplicity that governs Kushti.
13-24: Wrestlers gather outside the akhara after training, exchanging advice and stories. Beyond physical preparation, Kushti is also about community and the transmission of experience.
14-24: Inside the wrestlers’ quarters, moments of rest and conversation follow the intensity of training. Life in the akhara extends beyond the arena, shaping a community bound by discipline and shared routines.
15-24: Maha Singh Rao, head coach of the Guru Hanuman Akhara, continues the legacy of India’s oldest wrestling school. Under his guidance, generations of wrestlers have competed at national and international level.
16-24: Inside the akhara, wrestlers engage in sparring under the watchful eye of coach Maha Singh Rao. The mud arena is where discipline, technique, and resilience are tested every day.
17-24: Wrestlers spar in the mud arena, where every move is a test of strength, balance, and endurance. The akhara remains the heart of Kushti, a discipline rooted in both tradition and resilience.
18-24: Wrestlers spar in the mud arena while their peers observe closely. Every match is both practice and lesson, where technique and endurance are shared within the group.
19-24: Two wrestlers lock in a powerful move on the mud floor, while another pair trains in the background. Kushti practice blends technique, raw strength, and constant endurance in the sacred arena.
20-24: Two young wrestlers stand outside the akhara after training, their bodies marked by sweat and earth. Portraits like these reveal the human side of Kushti, beyond strength and technique.
21-24: After training, wrestlers wash with cold water in the courtyard. Simple gestures mark the rhythm of life in the akhara, where discipline extends to every moment of the day.
22-24: A wrestler sits in one of the small rooms where the athletes live inside the akhara. Life and training are inseparable here: the wrestlers share meals, rest, and discipline under the same roof.
23-24: A wrestler lifts weights in front of a mirror inside the akhara’s gym, where simple, handcrafted equipment supports the physical preparation of the athletes.
24-24: A moment of solitude inside the akhara’s gym. After training, a wrestler sits quietly among the handcrafted weights, reflecting on the discipline that governs his daily life.