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Mallakhamba

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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]

Mallakhamba
A mallakhamba team performs on the pole, 2015
Highest governing bodyMallakhamb Federation of India
First playedc. 2nd century BCE
Characteristics
Mixed-sexYes
TypeIndoor or outdoor, gymnastics, pole sports
EquipmentWrestling grips, vertical pole
Presence
Country or regionIndia
Olympic1936

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, more than 20 other states in India have followed suit.[6]

History

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Performing mallakhamb

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:

  1. Pole mallakhamba
  2. Hanging mallakhamba
  3. 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

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Pole mallakhamba

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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

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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

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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

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  • 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

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  • 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 was 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]

Indian National Sports Award recipients

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Year Recipient Award Gender Ref(s)
2020 Yogesh Malviya Dronacharya Award Male [24]
2021 Himani Parab Arjuna Award Female [25]
2022 Sagar Kailas Ovhalkar Male [26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Dyck, Noel (2000). Games, sports and cultures. Oxford: Berg. p. 96. ISBN 1-85973-312-3. OCLC 44485325.
  2. ^ Sport in the USSR. - Issues 1-12; Issues 286-297, pp.9
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Kapur, Mallika (September 11, 2017). "Aarifa Bhinderwala: India's pioneering pole dancer". CNN.
  5. ^ "Mallakhamb – History, Indian Gymnastic Pole, Information In English". Mumbai, India. September 12, 2018.
  6. ^ "Mallakamb: The art of aerial yoga". Hindustan Times. June 11, 2017. Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  7. ^ Irwin, John (April 1983). "The ancient pillar-cult at Prayāga (Allahabad): its pre-Aśokan origins". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. 115 (2): 253–280. doi:10.1017/S0035869X00137487. JSTOR 25211537. S2CID 162953368.
  8. ^ "painting". British Museum. Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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]
  11. ^ Nag, Utathya (April 21, 2021). "Was kabaddi in Olympics? Here's the truth". Olympics.com. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ Holland, Samantha. (2010). Pole dancing, empowerment and embodiment. Houndmills, Balsingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-230-29043-3. OCLC 688185171.
  14. ^ "From Shikhar Dhawan to Ankita Raina: A look at players who won prestigious Arjuna award this year". WION. November 13, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  15. ^ "About Mallakhamb". Tamilnadu Mallakhamb Association. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  16. ^ "Mallakhamb: Ancient Indian sport". MSN News. India. December 5, 2012. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013.
  17. ^ "India hosts first-ever World Mallakhamb Championship in Mumbai". February 20, 2019.
  18. ^ "India Win Team Event at Mallakhamb World Championship". February 17, 2019.
  19. ^ "Mallakhamb Federation Of India - About MFI". mallakhambfederationofindia.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  20. ^ "VISHWA MALLAKHAMB FEDERATION". vishwamallakhamb.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  21. ^ "Mallakhamb Federation Of India - World Championship". mallakhambfederationofindia.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  22. ^ Hussain, Sabi (September 20, 2022). "Mallakhamb federation's president resigns over sexual harassment charges". The Times of India. TNN.
  23. ^ "Mallakhamba". Facebook. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  24. ^ "National Sports Awards 2020 announced – Rohit Sharma, Mariyappan T., Manik Batra, Ms Vinesh and Ms Rani bag the Khel Ratna". Press Information Bureau Delhi. August 21, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  25. ^ "Kirti College student Ms. Himani Parab won the Arjuna Award 2021". Deccan Education Society Alumni Network. December 11, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  26. ^ "Mumbai: Chembur's mechanical engineer becomes first man to receive Arjuna Award for Mallakhamb". The Free Press Journal. December 18, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2024.

Further reading

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