Indian pole-related sport
Mallakhamba
, or
mallakhamb
is a
traditional sport
, originating from the
Indian subcontinent
, in which a group of
gymnasts
perform aerial
yoga
and
gymnastic
postures using
wrestling
grips in concert with a stationary vertical pole. The word "mallakhamb" also refers to the pole used in the sport.
[1]
The pole is usually made from
sheesham
(Indian rosewood) polished with
castor oil
.
[2]
Other popular versions of
mallakhamba
are practiced using a cane or a rope instead of a pole.
[3]
The origins of
pole dancing
can be traced back to the sport of
mallakhamba
.
[4]
The name
mallakhamba
derives from the terms
malla
, meaning wrestler, and
khamb
, which means a pole. Literally meaning "wrestling pole", the term refers to a traditional training implement used by wrestlers.
[5]
On April 9, 2013, the Indian state of
Madhya Pradesh
declared
mallakhamba
the state sport. As of 2017
[update]
, more than 20 other states in India have followed suit.
[6]
History
[
edit
]
Early examples of
mallakhamba
are seen on
Chandraketugarh
pottery from between the 2nd century BCE and 1st century CE, where figures are shown exhibiting gymnastics by hanging on a pole like structure in the shape of a T which is held by another person. In 7th century CE, Chinese Buddhist pilgrim
Xuanzhang
provides evidence of pole climbing of the pillar cult which he witnessed at Prayagraj. Xuanzhang records that Hindu ascetics climbed the top of a pole situated at Prayagraj, clinging onto it with one hand and one foot, and watched the sunset with their heads turned to the right as it set, marking it as a type a solar rite.
[7]
The earliest mention of
mallakhamba
in a literary work is in the 1135 CE Sanskrit classic
Manasollasa
, written by the Western Chalukya king
Someshvara III
. A
Rajput
painting from 1610 CE shows athletes performing various
acrobatics
, including
pole climbing
, while dancing to Raga Desahka.
[8]
A Mughal painting from 1670 depicts athletes practicing
club swinging
, weightlifting, and pole climbing similar to
mallakhamba
.
[9]
Little mention of
mallakhamba
exists between the late 17th century to the late 18th century, until it received new interest from Balambhatta Dada Deodhar, the teacher of
Peshwa
Baji Rao II
. During the first half of the 19th century,
Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi
learned
mallakhamba
with her childhood friends
Nana Saheb
and
Tantia Tope
.
[10]
Mallakhamba
was
demonstrated
at the
1936 Summer Olympics
.
[11]
Competitive
mallakhamba
made its first appearance in 1958 at the National Gymnastics Championships (NGCs) held at the Pahadganj Stadium,
Delhi
,
India
. The Gymnastics Federation of India (GFI) proposed to recognize the game and include it in subsequent NGCs. The first national
mallakhamba
championships were held in 1962 at
Gwalior
,
Madhya Pradesh
, as part of the NGCs. Around 1968, the game was introduced in the All-India Inter-University Gymnastics Championships. The national
mallakhamba
championships were organized annually by the GFI until 1976. In 1977, the
mallakhamba
championships were removed from the GFI, and no major championship games were held until 1980.
[12]
Bamshankar Joshi and other
mallakhamba
enthusiasts in
Ujjain
, Madhya Pradesh, founded an all-India level organization named the Mallakhamb Federation of India. The first all-India national
mallakhamba
championships were organized by the new sports association in 1981 from January 28 to 29 at Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. The event brought in representatives from all over India. The national
mallakhamba
championships have since been organized by different state associations affiliated to this federation.
Competitively, there are three variations of
mallakhamba
which have been in practice since 1937:
- Pole
mallakhamba
- Hanging
mallakhamba
- Rope
mallakhamba
All variations are practiced by both men and women, though pole
mallakhamba
is more commonly practiced by men, and rope
mallakhamba
by women.
[13]
All
mallakhamba
competitions are organized under the rules made by the Mallakhamb Federation of India, and 28 states are affiliated to the Federation. Himani Uttam Parab won gold medal in rope long set in the first World Mallakhamb Championship 2019.
[14]
Variations and specifications
[
edit
]
Pole
mallakhamba
[
edit
]
In this variation, a vertical wooden pole made of
teak
wood or
sheesham
is fixed to the ground. The pole is smeared with
castor oil
, which helps to minimize excessive friction. Participants perform various acrobatic feats and poses while hanging on the pole. Wrestlers mount, dismount, and utilize the pole for various complex
calisthenics
designed to develop their grip, stamina, and strength in the arms, legs, and upper body.
There are a number of different types of pole, although the most common is a free-standing upright pole, some eight to ten inches in diameter, planted into the ground. The pole used in competitions is a straight pole made of teak or sheesham wood, standing 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) in height with a circumference of 55 centimetres (22 in) at the base. It gradually tapers to a circumference of 35 centimetres (14 in) at the top.
The specifications of pole
mallakhamba
are as follows:
Range
|
Height (senior group)
|
Height (sub-junior group)
|
Note: All dimensions are in millimeters (mm)
|
Above the ground
|
2600 to 2800
|
2400 to 2600
|
Under the ground
|
800 to 900
|
700 to 800
|
Neck
|
180 to 200
|
180 to 200
|
Top
|
70
|
60
|
Total length
|
3400 to 3700
|
3100 to 3400
|
Circumference
|
Note: All dimensions are in millimeters (mm)
|
Bottom
|
530 to 550
|
480 to 500
|
Below the neck
|
300 to 350
|
300 to 350
|
Neck
|
180 to 200
|
180 to 200
|
Top
|
350
|
300
|
Hanging
mallakhamba
[
edit
]
This type of
mallakhamba
is similar to pole
mallakhamba
, but uses a shorten wooden pole shorter than the one used in pole
mallakhamba
.
[15]
Instead of being planted into the ground, the pole is hung with hooks and a chain, leaving a gap between the ground and the bottom of the
mallakhamba
.
The specifications of hanging
mallakhamba
are as follows:
Range
|
Height
|
Note: All dimensions are in millimeters (mm)
|
[
clarification needed
]
|
1700 to 1900
|
Neck height
|
180 to 200
|
Top height
|
70
|
Distance between bottom and ground
|
650 to 700
|
Height of the structure
|
4600 to 4800
|
Circumference
|
Note: All dimensions are in millimeters (mm)
|
Bottom
|
4500 to 5000
|
Neck
|
180 to 200
|
Below the neck
|
250 to 300
|
Rope
mallakhamba
[
edit
]
In this variation, the participants perform exercises while hanging on a rope suspended from a support at the top.
[16]
The rope is typically 5.5 metres (18 ft) long, and approximately 1 to 2 centimetres (0.39 to 0.79 in) in diameter. The rope is caught by the performer in the gap between the big toe and the second toe, along with one or both hands. After climbing upwards on the rope, the performer ties the rope around the body through a sequence of steps. The performer then reaches various positions called
Udi
("to fly"), some of which are imitations of standard
asana
.
Rope
mallakhamba
was historically performed on a piece of
cane grass
, but due to the lack of access to cane, a cotton rope is commonly used. Performers are expected to perform various exercises without knotting the rope in any way.
The specifications of rope
mallakhamba
are as follows:
Dimension
|
Measurement(Senior Group)
|
Measurement(Sub-Junior Group)
|
Note: All dimensions are in millimeters (mm)
|
Length
|
6000 to 6500
|
6000 to 6500
|
Thickness
|
18 to 20
|
12 to 13
|
Height of the structure
|
5800 to 6000
|
5800 to 6000
|
Official international organizations
[
edit
]
- Vishwa Mallakhamb Federation (VMF)
[17]
[18]
- Mallakhamb Confederation of World (MCW)
- Asian Mallakhamb Federation (AMF)
- South Asian Mallakhamb Federation (SAMF)
- Mallakhamb Federation USA (MFU)
Official Indian mallakhamb sport national organizations
[
edit
]
- Mallakhamb Federation
, widely known as
Mallakhamb Federation of India (MFI)
, registered on 7 June 1984
[19]
with Registration No. 13752 in
Ujjain
, M.P. It is affiliated with Vishwa Mallakhamb Federation.
[20]
[21]
In September 2022,
The Times of India
revealed that following allegations for sexual harassment and the failure to comply with the national sports code of India 2011, the MFI's recognition as a National Sports Federation has been withdrawn and its annual financial grant stopped by the sports ministry.
[22]
- Mallakhamb Sports Federation of India (MSFI)
has been affiliated with Mallakhamb Confederation of World (MCW), Asian Mallakhamb Federation (AMF), South Asian Mallakhamb Federation (SAMF).
[23]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Games, sports and cultures
. Dyck, Noel. Oxford: Berg. 2000. p.
96
.
ISBN
1-85973-312-3
.
OCLC
44485325
.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: others (
link
)
- ^
Sport in the USSR. - Issues 1-12; Issues 286-297, pp.9
- ^
Bromber, Katrin; Krawietz, Birgit; Maguire, Joseph, eds. (2013).
Sport Across Asia: Politics, Cultures, and Identities
. Routledge. p. 137.
ISBN
978-0-415-88438-9
.
OCLC
800447515
.
- ^
Kapur, Mallika (September 11, 2017).
"Aarifa Bhinderwala: India's pioneering pole dancer"
.
CNN
.
- ^
"Mallakhamb ? History, Indian Gymnastic Pole, Information In English"
. Mumbai, India. September 12, 2018.
- ^
"Mallakamb: The art of aerial yoga"
.
Hindustan Times
. June 11, 2017.
Archived
from the original on November 14, 2018
. Retrieved
November 24,
2019
.
- ^
Irwin, John (April 1983). "The ancient pillar-cult at Pray?ga (Allahabad): its pre-A?okan origins".
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland
.
115
(2): 253?280.
doi
:
10.1017/S0035869X00137487
.
JSTOR
25211537
.
S2CID
162953368
.
- ^
"painting"
.
British Museum
.
Archived
from the original on February 15, 2019
. Retrieved
February 15,
2019
.
- ^
Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.
"Ashmolean ? Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art"
.
jameelcentre.ashmolean.org
.
Archived
from the original on February 4, 2019
. Retrieved
February 4,
2019
.
- ^
Deepa, Agarwal (2009).
Puffin Lives: Rani Laxmibai: The Valiant Queen of Jhansi
. Penguin Books India PVT, Limited.
ISBN
978-0-14-333084-4
.
OCLC
666466167
.
[
page needed
]
- ^
Nag, Utathya (April 21, 2021).
"Was kabaddi in Olympics? Here's the truth"
.
Olympics.com
. Retrieved
January 28,
2024
.
- ^
Ramendra Singh (August 31, 2020).
"MP state sport, mallakhamb, makes it to Tokyo Olympics | Bhopal News - Times of India"
.
The Times of India
. Retrieved
December 3,
2022
.
- ^
Holland, Samantha. (2010).
Pole dancing, empowerment and embodiment
. Houndmills, Balsingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 62.
ISBN
978-0-230-29043-3
.
OCLC
688185171
.
- ^
"From Shikhar Dhawan to Ankita Raina: A look at players who won prestigious Arjuna award this year"
.
WION
. Retrieved
May 9,
2022
.
- ^
"About Mallakhamb"
.
Tamilnadu Mallakhamb Association
. Retrieved
December 3,
2022
.
- ^
"Mallakhamb: Ancient Indian sport"
.
MSN News
. India. December 5, 2012. Archived from
the original
on January 16, 2013.
- ^
"India hosts first-ever World Mallakhamb Championship in Mumbai"
. February 20, 2019.
- ^
"India Win Team Event at Mallakhamb World Championship"
. February 17, 2019.
- ^
"Mallakhamb Federation Of India - About MFI"
.
mallakhambfederationofindia.com
. Retrieved
April 24,
2023
.
- ^
"VISHWA MALLAKHAMB FEDERATION"
.
vishwamallakhamb.com
. Retrieved
April 24,
2023
.
- ^
"Mallakhamb Federation Of India - World Chapionship"
.
mallakhambfederationofindia.com
. Archived from
the original
on April 24, 2023
. Retrieved
April 24,
2023
.
- ^
Hussain, Sabi (September 20, 2022).
"Mallakhamb federation's president resigns over sexual harassment charges"
.
The Times of India
. TNN.
- ^
"Mallakhamba | Facebook"
.
www.facebook.com
. Retrieved
April 24,
2023
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Malkhamb
.