The Asian Reporter
Pacific Northwest News q Volume 28 Number 1 q January 1, 2018 q www.asianreporter.com
Ancient wrestling offers a future
for some in modern India
Baby panda melts
hearts of fans in debut
Page 2
50 couples marry
in mass ceremony
Page 3
KUSHTI DEVOTEES. India’s Jodha, right, competes with Pakistan’s Mohammed Ali during the seventh “Mission Dosti” Indian-style wrestling competition at Katra,
about 30 miles from Jammu, India, in this file photo. The annual friendly event features participants from India, Pakistan, and England. (AP Photo/Channi Anand, File)
By Nick Perry
The Associated Press
AHADURGARH,
India
—
Wearing nothing but loincloths, a
group of boys warm up by climbing
sturdy ropes that take them high into the
trees. One teenager walks around the
wrestling pit swirlling incense, blessing
the arena, and preparing it for battle.
On this evening, as the dusk thickens
and the bugs venture out, a couple dozen
B
Recipe: Shrimp and
Pineapple Brochette
Page 13
young devotees of kushti, the ancient
Indian style of wrestling, have gathered to
face off. They range in age from 10 to 16.
The earth in the pit has been prepared as it
has been for centuries, turned over and
mixed with sawdust, turmeric, and ghee,
or clarified butter. It’s mildly fragrant and
soft to the touch, making it easier on the
wrestlers’ skin.
These devotees, or pehelwans, have
made a commitment that extends beyond
the hours they spend practicing each
morning and evening. They live an ascetic
lifestyle, eating specific foods like almond
milkshakes and chapattis slathered with
ghee. They don’t eat meat and refrain from
smoking, drinking, and dating.
The sport, thought to be 2,000 years old,
is mentioned in ancient Hindu texts and
depicted in temple carvings. Although
women wrestlers have made strides
recently in India, the vast majority of
participants are men.
Continued on page 3
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